4 Things about Britain’s first Cannabis clinic for Psychosis

by Raghav

                                                              image source: Express.co.uk                                                                                                                    

Great Britain isn’t feeling as great as it once used to, courtesy of ‘skunk‘ – (high potency marijuana) – that has brought the country on the brink of psychosis crisis.

Seeing the situation worsen, the NHS (National Healthcare System) has set up the nation’s first cannabis clinic for psychosis, aimed at treating addicts of the mind-altering drug. Here are a few facts and things that you should know about the initiative:

• The clinic has been founded by a leading psychiatrist named Marta Di Forti, who believes that tens of thousands of people have been affected by the mind-altering effects produced by high amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in skunk, which can be easily purchased on the streets.

• Named the Cannabis Clinic For Patients With Psychosis, the project is being funded by the Maudsley NHS foundation trust.

• Patients who have experienced psychosis for the first time undergo a 3-month-programme at the clinic, comprising of antipsychotic medicines, special sessions with therapists, and motivational meetings.

• The list of doctors, providing their services at the clinic, also boasts a few prominent names like Professor Sir Robin Murray, the first British academic to confirm a link between cannabis and psychosis, and Professor Ann McNeill, the UK’s leading smoking and tobacco expert.

‘For years, desperate families have not been able to access the treatment their loved ones require and they have simply fallen through the cracks. This kind of clinic is more urgent than ever,’ Dr. Marta Di Forti told the DailyMail.

When asked about what prompted her to launch such clinic, Forti said that she was overwhelmed by the number of psychosis patients with a history of marijuana use. “It can’t be a coincidence that so many psychosis patients have or had a habit of consuming skunk.”

The doctor further believes that Britain shouldn’t follow the suit in legalizing adult-use cannabis as it would only lead to more people falling prey to the harmful effects of the drug.

“This is a crisis of high potency cannabis that we can’t simply ignore.”