Anecdotal Evidence for Treatment of Bipolar with Cannabis

Scientific and medical research of medical cannabis has been limited by the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug. A schedule I drug is one with a high potential for abuse and NO MEDICAL VALUE. Crack, PCP, heroin and meth are schedule II drugs. This category is reserved for drugs with a potential for abuse but with legitimate medical uses. Psilocybin (magic mushroom) is another Schedule I drug. The FDA is telling us marijuana and mushrooms are much more dangerous than Crack, PCP, heroin and meth. If you don't believe me read it for yourself,

FDA Drug Schedule / DEA Shopping List


So why are California doctors recommending medical marijuana if it has no value? Why are they not recommending a drug our government thinks has medical value... medical meth perhaps? The answer lies in anecdotal evidence. When you get past the rhetoric and talk to actual bipolar sufferers you find a surprising number who medicate with marijuana. Cannabis is by no means a panacea for everyone with bipolar disorder. But anecdotal evidence clearly shows that it gives significant relief to sufferers of bipolar.

The scientific/medical community sees it as a chicken and the egg question. Do sufferers of depression smoke marijuana because they are depressed or are they depressed because they smoke marijuana? It's an easy question to answer for most people.... marijuana provides relief for their symptoms. For those who feel they are depressed because they are smoking marijuana there are a huge number of well-funded organizations out there to help them. Here is a very small sample:

Marijuana Addiction Drug Rehab
Marijauna Addiction Treatment
How to Stop Smoking Marijuana.com
Marijuana Anonymous


Clearly there are a huge number of free resources available to anyone who feels marijuana is detrimental to their health. Those who experience a benefit from medical marijuana are not so lucky. The 70-year prohibition of marijuana in America has made it difficult for many patients to be honest with their doctors about their use. However, that hasn't stopped them from searching out other patients on the internet. Bipolar sufferers in particular have sought to build the knowledge of cannabis as a treatment method. The following are examples of that effort:

"Numerous patients report significant improvement and stabilization with their bipolar disorder when they utilize adjunctive therapy with medical cannabis. While some mental health professionals worry about the impact of cannabis on aggravating manic states, most bipolar patients trying cannabis find they "cycle" less often and find significant improvement in overall mood. Bipolar disorders vary tremendously in the time spent in the depressive versus manic states. Those who experience extended depressive episodes are more likely to be helped with cannabis.

Patients who use cannabis to "relax" may be treating the anxiousness sometimes associated with depression. Cannabis aids the insomnia sometimes present in depression and can improve appetite. Better pain control with cannabis can reduce chronic pain related depression. While cannabis cannot yet be considered a primary treatment of major depression it may improve mood when used under physicians supervision and in combination with therapy and/or SSRI’s.

There is currently a debate as to which "strain" of cannabis is most appropriate for the adjunctive treatment of depression. Since symptoms are so individualistic it is hard to determine what strain is right expect empirically. In general Sativa dominant strains tend to be more "up" and Indica dominant strains more relaxing.

Patients themselves are often the best judges of whether or not cannabis helps relieve the symptoms of depression. A poorly educated or narrow-minded physician may think any use of cannabis to be a substance abuse related aspect of depression. More enlightened psychiatrists (i.e. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical School) appreciate the often beneficial aspects of cannabis therapy.

Perhaps the most reliable yardstick of the efficacy of medical cannabis in the treatment of depression is whether or not specific aspects of functionality improve. Functionality includes aspects such as self-care ability, job or school attendance, social interaction, normal sleeping, and cognitive skills." source

"I find marijuana the right drug for me, because it helps lower my BP, prevents me from being quite so obsesive and relaxes me. I have Epilepsey, stress related seizures and Bipolar Disorder NOS and last but not least, Post Tramatic Stress Disorder. I believe it helps me control all of my disorders."

"Good for Mania, not for Depression I am fortunate enough to live in a state that allows medical Cannabis. I use it for the severe nausea of Menieres Disease and have to smoke it several times a day. I also am manic depressive though considered what they call,"borderline". I find that great when I need to chill out and calm down from a mania phase. However if you've ever smoked pot, you should remember that when you are high...it makes you think a lot. Sometimes thinking about your problem over and over can make you feel worse. Pot can make you do just that. So beware. Also count on being treated like a second class citizen if you choose to medicate with cannabis. In some counties of California, they actually do arrest and take away all a patients medicine......and feel it is up to the courts to figure it out. So expect to be treated like a criminal no matter where you live.....except San Francisco." source


"I use cannabis as a herbal alternative to pills. I suffer from acute depression or clinical depression aka bipolar disorder (anxiety, mood swings). Also suffer from recurring pain in my lower back and both knees from a car crash. One... What state should I move to? To get a medical card.. Two what strains would be the best for treatment? Three.. does anyone else suffer from bipolar disorder?"

"I also use cannabis as a safer alternative to the pills. In Alaska it is legal to own/cultivate for personal use. If you are goin for medical strains, i would suggest bubblegum, jock horror, or white widow.... anything with an abundance of THC... Hey good luck, and i know what its like to be bipolar.. this shit really helps doesn't it!"


"That is exactly what I use cannabis for. I hate taking pills."

"My wife is bi-polar and has taken so many meds over the years I can't remember them all. Right now she is down to Clonazapam and smoking AK47. This seems to be working well at this time. She has also used Cinderella 99. Both strains create a positive mental attitude...we live in Oregon and you can get a medical card here."


"I am extremely bi-polar, diagnosed at age 12 with the rapid cycling type of disease. Seroquel helps more than anything, I take 500mg a day. But weed definetly helps with the depression part." source