The local cannabis store manager disputes the claims, saying “it’s all a matter of education” and finding the right type and dose
A local mental health advocate talks about what she considers the potential risks of cannabis use.
Zoey Raffay, a published author and former student at Orillia High School, says she has not used cannabis recently and that her mind is as clear as ever.
“I think cannabis really affected my psychosis, my depression, and my anxiety,” the 21-year-old said. “It made everything go awry and increased my medications. Now that I’m out, it’s been amazing. In the long run, cannabis doesn’t help with things like depression and anxiety. I found it only made it worse.” .
Raffay, who has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, major depressive disorder, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has talked about her mental health struggles. In 2018, he published a personal story about attempting suicide in a collection called Brainstorm Revolution: True Mental Health Stories of Love, Personal Evolution, and Cultural Revolution.
For 18 months, Raffay says he smoked up to six grams of cannabis a day. When he finally left, he says everything got better.
“Now I can grab a knife,” he said. “I didn’t feel comfortable with a knife before. I would see faces, and now I don’t see faces. It really caused my psychosis.”
Raffay says cannabis can be good for people with chronic pain. However, he believes that people with mental health or addiction problems should completely avoid cannabis.
“I never classified the herb as an addictive drug, I always classified it as an addictive drug,” he said. “But as soon as I got out of it, I realized I was addicted to it. You have massive withdrawal symptoms. Obviously you can become addicted, which I didn’t realize.”
To continue raising awareness about the potential negative impacts of cannabis, Raffay is scheduled to appear on Dela’s Voice, an online talk show on addiction, mental health and grief. It will be on the program on February 6 at 12:00. You can see it here.
Not everyone shares Raffay’s opinion.
Victoria McGillis, the manager of Vivid Cannabis Co. on Progress Drive, says Raffay has a lot to learn about the benefits of cannabis use, even for those with mental health issues.
“Doctors prescribe cannabis for depression and anxiety,” he said. “Cannabis can help if you have the right cannabis. There are all kinds of cannabinoids, and if you’re using the wrong one, and also depending on how you use it, it can make things worse.”
McGillis’ husband is an Ontario Provincial Police sergeant who deals with PTSD. He was prescribed THC and CBD oil for his depression, anxiety and PTSD.
“We actually have a lot of police officers, firefighters and even nurses coming to us because of depression and anxiety about what’s happening in the world right now,” he said. “We have almost 50 people in our first aid.” program “.
McGillis says it’s too common for young people to access cannabis from the wrong sources without proper education.
“There are still black market stores and there are black market drug dealers,” he said. “It’s all about education and I believe that whoever sells and whoever buys has the same responsibility for education.”
McGillis says cannabis can be like other drugs. Sometimes you have to try a couple of different consumption options before you find the right one, he explained.
He also believes Raffay was probably consuming “too much” cannabis, if he smoked six grams a day.
“That’s too much, and I can see why it made things worse for her,” she said. “It’s like abusing it. It’s like drinking a 24 [of beer] one day. It’s a lot”.
McGillis invites Raffay and anyone who feels uneducated about cannabis to come to Vivid to learn more.
Meredith Fryia, addiction services manager at the Simcoe County branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, told OrilliaMatters that she cannot provide a statement or data on the impact of cannabis on mental health.
“While medical cannabis is prescribed to treat pain and some other medical conditions under the supervision of a health care provider, as far as we know, research is not conclusive on its use for the treatment of mental health problems. “, he said in an email reply.
