Weed smoker of 10 years shows horrific first days of quitting
Warning: This article contains discussion of drug addiction which some readers may find distressing.
The US has officially reclassified medical cannabis as a less dangerous drug but it seems not everyone is in agreement about the issues it can cause.
It was confirmed earlier this week that Donald Trump's administration would take the groundbreaking step to reclassify medical marijuana, from Schedule I to Schedule III.
A lot of you who don't live in the US might be wondering exactly what that means, and if you were hoping that it would mean a legalisation across all 50 states, then I have some bad news.
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The reclassification is good news for those who take the drug to ease medical symptoms, such as chronic pain or the aftermath of cancer treatments, as it will no longer be seen as something which has no medical use whatsoever, with it previously coupled with other Class A drugs such as heroin.
Under its new Schedule III classification, it will be recognised as having moderate to low potential for dependence and have recognised medical uses.
However, as we have seen with people who smoke weed recreationally, it isn't always as safe as it's made out to be, even leading to cases of 'scromiting' in some cases.
And coming off it isn't easy either if you've developed an addiction, as one woman in the US found out as she documented her first few days coming off the drug.
YouTuber Onlyjayus shared with her near two million subscribers the reality of just a few days without weed, describing it as 'addictive, no matter what anybody tries to say'.
After 10 years of smoking, she acknowledged that it was time to stop, but it presented with some severe symptoms in her first few days of going cold turkey.
She said: "The first three days were definitely the most difficult. I had this constant excruciating headache that wouldn't go away, no matter how much water I drank, and my appetite was non-existent.
"I was trying to force myself to eat and it just wasn't happening. My insomnia that I thought I had beaten a year ago came back. My energy level was just on the floor, I couldn't get through any of my workouts and that was extremely frustrating.
"I was also just really irritable, every little thing was setting me off."
However, the US still considers most recreational marijuana as a Schedule I drug, which goes to show that they still take it seriously when it comes to the negative side of it, as the order only applies to marijuana distributed through state-licensed medical programmes.
Recreational marijuana is still legal in 24 our of 50 states, while medical cannabis is legal in 40 of them, so it is unclear how much the order will affect those who take it recreationally.
Morgan Fox, of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (Norml), called Trump's change 'symbolic'.
"Moving it out of that classification allows us to have policy conversations that don't start and end with that definition," Fox said.
"Lots of policymakers continue to fall back on that, and really won't even discuss the issue as long as cannabis is Schedule I."
"The real solution to the issue is to de-schedule cannabis at the federal level, not just move to Schedule III, and then start changing the laws in regulatory ways that provide guidance, so we can get a little bit of uniformity," added Fox.
However, the dangers of the drug should hopefully still be made clear to anyone who wishes to take it, as this YouTube short emphasises just how difficult it can be to quit once you've developed an addiction.
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: US News, Mental Health, YouTube
James Moorhouse