I have been reading about Medical marijuana helping with anxiety/depression associated with menopause....anyone have any luck with it?

Hi Moonlight! I have never used marijuana for depression, or for anything else for that matter. I have enough bad habits

But I did find this Stanford University study that says:

A study involving inexperienced individuals revealed that marijuana tends to have either a neutral or negative affect on mood, whereas a study of people with depression found that THC may significantly increase unhappiness.

Although studies have not been conclusive, mounting evidence suggests marijuana use and depression occur together more often than chance would predict: Clinical studies have reported elevated depression rates among those seeking treatment for marijuana dependence, while others have found a similar association between elevated levels of marijuana use and depression treatment.

Google "marijuana and depression" and a lot of info pops up!

I have always heard that it has a mellowing effect on people,however all medicines and drugs effect people differently.

It's an anti-depressant for me. But one that comes with a cost. Powerdul psychoactive effects -YES.

...I've smoked here and there, never regularly, but chronically, since my early teens. I find it gives me more willingness to feel things, an opening of my mind, energy like crazy (I can stay up for hours if I'm stoned). But there is a price. Afterwards I feel hungover-depleted emotionally--my mojo is a withered sponge, and I'm dry and miserable.

Marijuana is a complicated drug; the cannibinoids alone comprise over 400 different compounds; and it varies from species to species and then the effects vary further from person to person. I think it's probably harmless in limited quantities, and poorly studied, unfortunately. I know people who have cancer who claim they'd be dead if it weren't for the dam* good weed they were able to find. I'm a live and let live kind of person...whatever floats your boat, I don't care. 'long as it doesn't hurt me personally, who gives a flying you-know-what? Seriously, people are too damn judgmental.

I guess, my answer is: i have never smoked pot and felt depressed. I have, however been anxious. But it passed, and overall eneded being a positive experience.

Lord almighty I just had a fight with myself.

Okay, it's official. The men in the white coats can come at any time and take me away. I'm ready. Let's go.

Well, let me put it this way..........I'm HAPPY just thinking about it!!! And it's been........how long?? At least 30 years since I've even seen the stuff, but I LOVED it!!!

I tried it one time.

NEVER AGAIN!!!

It made my anxiety go off the charts. Basically it magnified every symptom I was having 10 fold. Definitely not what I was looking for!!!

ROTFLMBO!! Way, WAY too comical!

Thanks for the replies ladies....wasn't sure if anyone would....but...alot of states now allow marijuana for medicinal reasons and i was curious if it helps.I haven't smoked it in alot of years but if i was legally allowed to,you bet i would,just to see if it would help some of these symptoms.

robin,you are so funny!!!LOL

Hi moonlight, I saw a lecture giving by Dr. Daniel Amen, one of the leading brain specialist in the country. He talked about marijuana use and it's effects on the brain. It was not good. It is a major cause of anxiety, panic attacks and depression. It causes changes in the brain chemistry and has been proven to damaging delicate brain receptors. It was also proven to LOWER IQ. From my experience many many years ago in high school when the rage was to smoke pot, I recall having terrible panic attacks after smoking it. They called it "getting paranoid" and I decided it was so not worth feeling bizaar like that so I quit and never started up again. I always wondered if later in life that little "pot" era had anything to do with my anxiety problem much later on. Dr. Amen also went on to say that there was a much greater incidence of depression in those who smoked pot. I don't know if I would chance all of the negative side effects. You may be opening a pandoras box that may have been better shut. Deb

The one thing I do know about pot is that it definitely, absolutely has a withdrawal syndrome attached to it. I have two friends, who were both daily pot smokers for years. When they tried to quit, all hell broke loose. Vivid nightmares, sweats, palpitations, you name it. It was awful.

About half of my friends still imbibe occasionally, but nothing like what you would call a 'habit.' If it's at a party, and right there in front of them, why sure, go for it.

When I was in college there was a professor in the college of pharmacology (my dept) who was a big proponent of pot smoking. He'd set up a booth in the student union every week with all kinds of literature. It's bad for your lungs, but he claimed to have scientific evidence that it raised serotonin levels, and also raised the seizure threshold. I must admit that a lot of my fellow epilepsy sufferers have found that smoking some Mary-Jane once a month keeps their seizures at bay. (Okay, I'm dating myself by using the term Mary Jane. I don't even know what teens call it these days. I think it might be called 'chronic'.)

It certainly works for certain medical conditions such as glaucoma ( reduces pressure in eyes), nausea, AIDs(wasting), appetite stimulant and even MS (reduces spastity). When I was doing a clinical at Hopkins there was a trial going on using Marinol (THC component) was be given to patients suffering from AIDS. It is a shame there is such a stigma surrounding its use because I believe it is good alternative and has less side effects than many of the prescription drugs used to treat medical conditions.

When my father was diagnosed with lung cancer back in '89 he asked my brother & I to get him some marijuana because radiation treatments were so devastating. I told my brother not to do it because his cancer was lung CA and it is harsh. I really regret that as I know how much it could have eased his final weeks. If I had been thinking right, I would have baked him some brownies.

Just want to say that the effects from smoking will not be the same for everyone. There are some that will feel anxious, edgy and a little paranoid but others have the opposite effects. I have also heard it referred to as chronic, ganja & blunt.

I've heard that drinking marijuana tea helps with anxiety, but I don't know.

Last time I smoked pot I ate a whole pizza, and was found counting ceiling tiles in the corner of the kitchen

I found these statements on another site:

"Natural feelings of expansion that correspond to favorable perceptions, such as a sense of accomplishment, are experiences common to us all, What makes marijuana unique and beneficial is its ability to summon these states of well-being at will .We might suggest that those hundreds of millions of people around the world who face marijuana to experience higher levels of life, do so specifically because of the great import they ascribe to being " high," i.e., feeling better, happier, more expansive, and therefore more tolerant and compassionate."

" With the expansiveness that occurs with marijuana, the subject may begin to notice infinite possibilities to raise the quality of his/her life that would otherwise have remained hidden from normal, defensive consciousness. And feelings of health and happiness naturally lead to hope, which of itself can be curative."

"Regardless of the model used, marijuana resolves conflict by de-emphasizing extreme aggressiveness and stroking the receptive sides of human nature. This unification or balance, however, may be responsible for changes in goals and values. It Is the healthy balancing nature of marijuana that is most beneficial to the individual and most threatening to modern society."


"The Physical benefits of marijuana are far-reaching, widespread, and long-term. Because of the way marijuana impacts the Autonomic Nervous System which expands the breath and relaxes the body, its potential for health and healing are enormous"

"Marijuana ingestion has been shown to change the worried state by producing alpha waves, experienced as well being."


I just want to add that we actually have cannabinoid receptors in our brains......are they there for a reason?

I don't know personally about the medical marijuana benefits for anxiety, but there are a lot of "studies" information which paint a terrible picture of marijuana on this thread. Like every type of "medicine" it may have different effects on different people. There are millions of people who find relief from medicinal marijuana everyday and do not suffer the terrible side effects some have listed here. I personally know many calm, happy and productive people who smoke marijuana and it helps them a lot with their anxiety disorders, insomnia or other medical conditions. These same people have tried prescription drugs to regulate their conditions in the past but have given them up due to either their addictive nature or numerous side effects of their own.

Would think it would be helpful except when it comes to the munchies. With some of us we have enough trouble with weight during this time it might make it worse he he. Does anyone know what is in that herb that can cause some men to have some inlargement in breast area? Was just thinking it sounds more like a herb for a woman then a man. O.k just my 2 cents I am friendly on this one.

[quote name='primitiverose' date='Jun 1 2009, 09:31 PM' post='287789']
. Does anyone know what is in that herb that can cause some men to have some inlargement in breast area? /quote]


i have never heard of that before.....have never seen it before either...and i've been around alot of smokers....

I'll just stick with tequila thanks

All the people i know seem to be alot happier than most and also live very productive lives.....why is it socially acceptable for people to take numerous prescription pills a day,some to wake up with,some to make it through the day and then more to be able to sleep at night,yet marijuana,which is natural,which isn't addictive like the pills,is so taboo?

Seriously its too bad so many people have to hide it still, been around long enough to see plenty of others around my age range do just fine in life and its helped them. But legalities are different in each State, My sister does have a medical Marijuna card and it does help her a great deal with the fibro, peri bit. Its funny how the big pharms can push Viagra out there so even elderly men can achieve erections forever but something grown naturally like this that has helped others is just penalized but thats Politics for you. Even discussing this on a open board makes me feel still uneasy but I am getting old and I dont care Ha Ha.

Dear 'moonlight'
I really see your point.Now in certain parts of the UK ,mairjuana is prescribed for patients suffering great pain from terminal Cancer or Aids.It has also been used to treat severe depression in patients who cannot tolerate ADs.

This is an interesting discussion,although I thought it was addictive.Have never used it myself but do remember a Doctor say it is addictive.
Anyway as long as it improves the quality of certain people's lives and is not affecting anyone else have no problem with anyone who uses.

Thanks for sharing the information with us.

God Bless
Elizabeth

yea, thats all i need , anxiety with the munchies !!!

I was about 18 when I tried it...at first I was a giggle box and then everything went horribly bad quickly....I got so sick, was hallucinating(sp), was throwing up....begging my friends to call my mom or an ambulance, but noone wanted to get into trouble so they didn't.....I eventually pass out (I think) on the bed after heaving everywhere and felt like I was falling into a dark spiraling tunnel....thought I was dying, jolted from this spiraling tunnel like you do when jumping from falling asleep and after that I don't remember. I wouldn't touch it ever again, even for medicinal reasons, it obviously doesn't agree with me.....HUGS Mikki

pots not for everyone .. always made me paranoid .. dont think I need to add that to my symptoms.. hmmm anxiety AND paranoia ,, nice

Well I can say that I tried some a few days.I spent 45 minutes crying and scared out of my mind.I think it depends entirely on the breed/brand/ strain ?? (I have no clue what you call it ) The first time I took on hit and it knocked out all my anxiety and I just felt calm..stupid but calm.So I tried it again the next day and got the same effect.Then the next time I took several hits and went to HELL !! I think it all depends on the person and the strain.The wacky tobacccky is definetly not for me.I was willing to try it seeing as how the side effects are less harmful than say AD's os some Benzo's.now I know.I have al few friends that swear by it and they function amazingly in society and you would never know they were tokers but it is not for me.

I like it

Everyone is different and for some it can be very helpful I guess. I was a daily pot smoker for years and I somtimes take a hit or 2 if we go out because I dont drink but even that is rare. I cant say that it ever helped with anything but my mood, but thats me.
I will say this though. I think addiction of pot is all in the persons head. I had 2 sons and each time I found out I was pregnant I quit smoking pot as soon as I found out and never had any type of withdrawal. And to tell you the truth all the pot heads I knew that quit have never ever mentioned "withdrawal" (shrugs)

Some people do find it makes them paranoid though.
To each his own and if it helped me with this crap I sure would take it up again.

I was thinking of the same, would it help with anxiety?
I was not pot smoker in my youth, I only tried twice, in my 40s, first time it made me goofy and I had serious munches, second time it was probably pot laced with some chemical, as it made me violently sick, and I had also bad anxiety.
I think it is hard to predict, unless you know what grass you getting, I am concerned of GMO pot, LOL.
If it works, why not, if weight gain is not a concern, and it does not make you sick, still better than BZD and xanax, IMO.
I know a guy who gets Rx Mary Jane for anxiety disorder , and he has done it for years, doing good.
I was thinking as I have diabetes and MJ should burn blood sugar fast, this is why we get munches, but I can't tolerate it really, it causes the opposite effect on me.
Good to know, we have options, though, in case we want it.

Dear 'Iradan'
Sorry to be so ignorant but what are munchies ?I keep thinking of soft toffees etc!.
All the Best
Elizabeth

Hi Elizabeth,
I hope Iradan won't might me chiming in on this one.
Just so you won't be in suspense any longer, "munchies" is not a thing, it's more of an action. It basically means you will graze around eating just about anything that sounds good at the time. When you have the munchies, you're not necessarily hungry (though you might be)...you might be bored, you might be anxious, etc. I tend to have a "munchie of choice" attitude, tending to pick out things that are very flavorful (hard cheeses, salami, pepperoni, etc.) or just plain salty. In a way, getting the munchies is a good thing...you end of eating all the leftovers in the frig!
((HUGS))
Jan

Dear Jan
Thanks sweetie.I am a big time muncher so better stay away from the Marijuana!!
Warm Hugs
Elizabeths

For me munches, means, eating too much and when you not technically hungry.
I never munch aka snack, but when I smoked MJ, I could not stop eating, which is not normal for me. I usually have pretty good idea of portions and get full on regular meal.
One thing MJ is Rx for cancer patients, is to gain appetite during chemotherapy, and it also helps with pain.
Last thing I need is more anxiety combined with eating everything in my sight.

Jan,I don't mind at all, you explain it very well.
I too tend to go after salty and fatty things, rather than sweets: cheese, salami, oil and butter, when I have craving, and I crave salt all the time. Sugar and sweets never look appealing to me.

that was priceless.

Years, oh many many years ago, done it a time or two let's way.... Then gave it up.. Then many years later, like over 10 years ago, tried again. OMG, PARANOID to say the least. We were w/a bunch of ppl, and actually locked myself in the room thinking they were all out to get me... Let's just NEVER again, that stuff must of changed since way back when or atleast I know that I have...

Funny now, not so funny then...LOL

Hey didgens... I'm in Southern California also! Patron anyone?? LMAO! LOVED your post!