A Colorado mother is speaking out about the dangers of marijuana after her teenage son died in a tragedy tied to cannabis use.
According to DailyMail.com, Ann Clark, a resident of Colorado, lost her son Brant to a “sudden psychosis” that began after he smoked pot in a teepee “for hours” in 2007. DailyMail reports that Brant Clark spent days in the hospital, and ultimately committed suicide.
Clark told the outlet that she believes the drug triggered her son’s psychosis.
“I will never stop missing my only child,” Clark told DailyMail.com. “Suicide is a soul-crushing death, but especially when it is triggered by a marijuana-induced psychosis. Most people are still completely unaware that marijuana can trigger psychosis, and it is very painful to constantly have to explain it.”
Colorado legalized recreational marijuana in 2014 and is now a $2 billion industry, and Clark is now speaking out about the national trend towards legalization.
“A multitude of young people are living high on weed, and believing that it is safe and harmless,” Clark told DailyMail.com. “My state has become one of the least desirable places to raise a child, and I feel sure that other locations legalizing marijuana are experiencing similar problems.”
The Brant family’s tragic story was just part of a larger DailyMail report on the growing use of recreational cannabis in states where the drug has been legalized.
The report cites research undertaken by the University of Minnesota which found a 20% average increase in cannabis use frequency attributable to recreational legalization. The researchers concluded that further study is required on health and behavioral consequences to understand the public health impacts of marijuana legalization.
On Monday, the National Institutes of Health released survey data showing marijuana and hallucinogen use at a record high among young adults. For marijuana specifically, “past-year, past-month, and daily marijuana use (use on 20 or more occasions in the past 30 days) reached the highest levels ever recorded since these trends were first monitored in 1988,” the NIH said.
Daily marijuana use was reported by 11% of young adults surveyed.
“We need to know more about how young adults are using drugs like marijuana and hallucinogens and the health effects that result from consuming different potencies and forms of these substances,” said National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Nora Volkow, M.D.
“Young adults are in a critical life stage and honing their ability to make informed choices. Understanding how substance use can impact the formative choices in young adulthood is critical to help position the new generations for success,” Volkow said.
In their reporting of the survey data, The New York Times lists impaired driving, heightened anxiety, depression, and temporary psychosis as potential dangers of marijuana use.
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