The Rise of Depression and the Cannabis Response

Are you experiencing depression? If so, you are not alone and so are among the an incredible number of Americans suffering from this mood disorder. A recent article shared new statistical information regarding how depression in the U.S. is increasing.

Apparently the diagnosis of depression increased 33% between years 2011 and 2014. (1) Previously, The National Center for Health Statistics reported that antidepressant use jumped 65% in 15 years between 1999 and 2014: from 7.7% of Americans to 12.7% for all those 12 and older, doubly high for women than men, and 19.1% for those 60 and older. (2)

The good news, they say, is that "universal depression screenings" are happening more routinely, and that mood disorder is not any longer in the closet: people are discussing it and treating it... with pharmaceutical drugs.

I am left to wonder why this depressive state is continuing to grow by leaps and bounds? For one thing, there's a whole lot that has changed on earth since January 1, 2000. It's enough to create anyone depressed. I probably missed something, below, but listed below are the examples I can recall:

September 11, 2001
The Patriot Act
Ongoing terrorist attacks both domestic and international
Mass murders at schools
Increasing opioid addiction and deaths
Multiple wars in the Middle East
Intense natural disasters: fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, flooding, blizzards and droughts
The Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011
The overall economy of 2008
Overpriced real estate
Earnings that don't match the cost-of-living
Increased homelessness
The divisive presidential election of 2016 and presidency of Donald Trump
Of course, this list does not include challenging personal situations many people experience every once in awhile.
Pharmaceutical companies are the big winners.

Though most of the antidepressant-package inserts warn of 1 or another side-effect, pharmaceutical antidepressants are the ubiquitous 'go to" solution and coping mechanism for depression. Additionally, besides the side effects, lots of people report difficulty in getting off antidepressants when they are ready to do so.

Depression has been associated with increased neuro-inflammation. It's quite common knowledge now that inflammation is a precursor to many different disease processes.

Enter therapeutic cannabis.

Cannabis may reduce inflammation and holds great promise in studies about depression. (3) Because of its chemical compounds, especially THC and CBD, actual healing, not just symptom masking, can occur to revive deficient parts of the brain and immune system. (4) It is non-toxic, cost-effective and has little to no side-effects whatsoever.

"... Dispensaryherbs.com analyzed data from Strainprint, a mobile application cannabis users may use to track changes in symptoms after using different doses and cannabis chemotypes. Overall, self-reported symptoms of depression decreased by 50 percent." (5)

So why don't more folks try cannabis medicinally before heading down the pharma trail? It is suggested there are three main reasons:

The leftover stigma promoted by the Reefer Madness movie propaganda of 1936 and subsequent 1937 Marahuana Tax Act
The preference to trust doctors and what they prescribe
A general lack of understanding of therapeutic, not recreational, cannabis use
A friend of mine used cannabis medicinally to help her get over depression after nothing else worked. She said that it gave her back her life, which inspired her to share her experience with others.
As far as I can tell the multiple devastating events of the 21st century have radically changed the world from as we once knew it: disorienting at best and depressing at worst for those who know the difference. That said, I believe it really is still absolutely possible to fly from depression and remain emotionally and mentally well through everything with the help of responsible, therapeutic cannabis use.

The world may not change in ways we prefer but we can.

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(1) Olivia Goldhill, Depression diagnosis is up 33% in america, and that's a very important thing. May 14, 2018

(2) Laura A. Pratt, Ph.D., Debra J. Brody, M.P.H., and Qiuping Gu, M.D., Ph.D.. Antidepressant Use Among Persons Aged 12 and Over: USA, 2011-2014. August 15, 2017

(3) A. K. Walker, A. Kavelaars, C. J. Heijnen, and R. Dantzer, Neuroinflammation and Comorbidity of Pain and Depression. January 2014

(4) de Mello Schier AR, de Oliveira Ribeiro NP, Coutinho DS, Machado S, Arias-Carri�n O, Crippa JA, Zuardi AW, Nardi AE, Silva AC, Antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like effects of cannabidiol: a chemical compound of Cannabis sativa. 2014

(5) Cuttler C, et al., Cannabis use temporarily eases symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress. April 24, 2018

Susan is a 2018 graduate of the Holistic Cannabis Academy with over 45 years of personal involvement in the spectral range of wellness modalities. Her mission today is to intervene in the noise of modern life and help people identify and remove stressors that trigger their dis-ease while providing strategies towards a full time income connection with inner calmness, contentment and inspiration.