Gary Stephens didn't realize he was experiencing psychosis until he was hospitalized.
"It wasn't like Garry on drugs," he recalled. "It was a different Gary."
“I had delusions,” he said, adding that he typically doesn’t like to use that word, “I was king and I had all this money and one day and I went out to look for it. I even went to an ATM and I am trying to get money out but there was no money,”
The former patient turned Canadian Mental Health Association peer support worker believes his long-term THC use triggered his symptoms of paranoia and altered realities.
The Canadian Mental Health Association of Waterloo Wellington (CMHA WW) says the number of people like Stephens seeking help is on the rise.
In 2017, the local early psychosis intervention program served 207 referrals. In 2021, that number increased to 370.
"A number of things are going on all at the same time," said Kim Hewitt-McVicker, an occupational therapist with the early psychosis intervention program. "Between 2017 and 2021, we had 2018 where the legalization of cannabis happened. We saw an increase in use after that."
The organization says while their patient numbers have nearly doubled, their funding has not changed.
"The elastic is stretching," said Hewitt-McVicker.
The program says a large number of their patients have reported increased cannibas use, especially during isolation. That's why they would like to see more public education for THC products.
"We have many program clients who end up stating ‘if I had known how dangerous THC was, I never would have used it,’ said Hewitt-McVicker.
Meagan Reaburn, CMHA WW clinical pharmacist lead, said the effects of THC on the developing brain can be significant – and brain development extends well beyond teenage years.
"We really don’t want to see [cannabis] use in anyone below that 30 year-old age point because brain development is still occurring there," she said.
The CMHA says psychosis usually begins in the late teens or early twenties and can affect anyone, but the science of why still unclear.
CTV News reached out to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) asking for a response to the CMHA’s push for more education. In an email the AGCO stated in part: "The Government of Canada, through its agency Health Canada sets the levels of THC, publishes facts about allowable levels, and consumer information on cannabis use."
Training is mandatory for all retail cannabis store staff, the commission continued.
"Education is key to the safe, responsible, and lawful sale of cannabis. That is why the AGCO made it a requirement for those working in Ontario cannabis stores," the statement continued.
The CMHA WW has a 24 hour phone line for anyone in need of help, covering a wide range of addictions, Mental Health and Crisis services.
1-844-HERE247 (1-844-437-3247)
