Warning: This article contains discussion of drug addiction which some readers may find distressing.
A former cannabis addict spoke about what changed for him after he gave up the drug as he noticed he was finding things 'harder' before ditching weed.
YouTuber Dorian Develops had become addicted to cannabis as a teenager, but when he took a six month break and spoke about the results he'd noticed things were quite different to the way they used to be.
“I felt like I would have to read the same thing over and over because I couldn’t process it,” he said of the fog the drug was putting his brain under.
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“It’s so much easier to be motivated to go to the gym when you don’t wake up and smoke. [You] have more energy and you just have more mental clarity and focus.
"It’s a lot easier for you to want to set goals and be ambitious and do bigger things when you’re not in that weed brain fog state all the time. Being able to be organised and be productive is something that has improved so much in the last six months, especially in the last three.”
Dorian reckoned his mental health took a significant leap after he'd spent some time off cannabis, as he said he'd been 'noticing that my anxiety and depression was definitely elevated by smoking weed every day'.
Some people say they take the drug to soothe themselves and calm their minds of such feelings, but Dorian found it 'wasn't reduced' when he was smoking and noticed he was 'much better' after stopping.
He also felt a physical benefit as he wasn't smoking any longer and his respiratory system thanked him for it as he felt like quitting had started to 'repair a lot of that damage'.
He said: "Now I don’t feel as winded anymore, I feel like I have way more endurance in my lungs, I feel like I can breathe easier, I don’t wheeze anymore."
While cannabis is considered one of the safer drugs available, research into its effects indicated that use from a young age can drop a person's IQ by an average of 1.3 points.
Other research found that brain fog, shorter attention spans and a less adept ability to recall things were also linked to cannabis use.
Nonetheless, cannabis products are seeing an increase in use for medical purposes and other countries have looked into legalisation of the drug as a possible policy.
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can talk to FRANK. You can call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or contact through their website 24/7, or livechat from 2pm-6pm any day of the week.
Topics: Mental Health, Drugs, Health
Joe Harker