Author: Tim Jennings

Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized “medical marijuana” and 8 states have legalized recreational cannabis use. Does this mean that marijuana is harmless? That it is safe? That it is not addictive? What does the science actually reveal?

• Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance in the United States and worldwide.
• Cannabis is addictive and the younger one starts using it, the greater the likelihood of addiction.
o One out of eleven (9%) adults who try cannabis become addicted.
o One out of six (17%) adolescents who try cannabis become addicted (Hall, 2009; Volkowet al., 2014).

Cannabis has changed over the years and is much more potent today than just a few decades ago, thus increasing the risk of addiction, as well as mental health problems. In 1992, the average potency of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in seized cannabis was 3% but by 2019 the potency had increased to 11%–an almost fourfold increase! And this increase in potency correlates with increased number of hospital admissions for cannabis use disorders.

Cannabis contains more than 460 active chemicals and more than 100 unique cannabinoids. These are the compounds that interact with the brain’s cannabinoid receptors.

Cannabis (including “medical marijuana” in dispensaries) is not standardized in dose, potency, or chemical constituency, which means you don’t know what you’re getting from one marijuana sample to the next.

So, what does the published research demonstrate?

• Most studies (70%) done on cannabis are deemed to have “high-risk of bias” due to methodological flaws and author biases.
• Only 57% had appropriate participant blinding and only 24% with appropriate blinding of outcome assessors. (This means preventing the participants and assessors from knowing who was getting real cannabis and who was getting placebo.)
• Most research was done on oral cannabinoids, which contained only one or two of the more than 100 active compounds; only two studies involved actual cannabis (smoked in one study, vaporized in another.)
• Thus, all the hype suggesting safety of cannabis is just that, hype and not science.

Of the studies that were well done, the researchers concluded that there was moderate evidence of medical benefit from cannabis for chronic pain and muscle spasticity. There was poor-quality evidence for the treatment of nausea/vomiting due to chemotherapy, weight gain in HIV, sleep disorders, and Tourette syndrome.

This means that the medical benefits are narrow and much more evidence is needed. However, since many states have legalized medical marijuana, it has led to the perception amongst young people that marijuana is not harmful.

The graphic below demonstrates how attitudes among high school students have changed from 1975 to 2013:

Another issue that perpetuates the false idea that marijuana is harmless is that it is “natural.” But natural doesn’t always mean harmless! Consider tobacco, poison ivy, poison mushrooms or foxglove (a plant from which the cardiac medicine digoxin is derived, and small overdose of it will stop the heart). All of these are natural products but are poisonous or toxic. No, natural doesn’t always mean harmless.

Perception about marijuana is critically important and we must educate young people about the health damaging effects of it, just as we have done regarding tobacco.

Surveys show that 45% of U.S. high school seniors have used marijuana, 23% use currently, and 6% use daily (Johnston et al., 2016). The more marijuana is used the more damage it does to the brain. In a dose-dependent manner, adolescent cannabis use is associated with worse performance in school, work, thinking, increased psychiatric disorders, and worsened substance use outcomes (Pope et al., 2003; Fergusson et al., 2015, Jager& Ramsey, 2008; Meier et al., 2012; Randolph et al., 2013; Camchonget al., 2016, Fergusson et al., 2002; Patton et al., 2002; Moore et al., 2007, Patton et al., 2007.Volkowet al., 2014, 2016; Levine et al., 2017).

Cannabis use in adolescence is associated with increased incidence and worsened course of psychotic, mood, and anxiety disorders (Hayatbakhshet al., 2007; Moore et al., 2007; Gage 2016).

Several studies have documented that adolescents who smoke marijuana have a loss of IQ points, more than a standard deviation, that is never fully recovered after stopping the marijuana (Pope 2003, Gruber 2011, Meier 2012).

The bottom line is that marijuana is a neuro-active substance that has multiple damaging effects on the brain. It reduces IQ, increases mental illness and increases the risk of multiple health problems. Furthermore, there is essentially no research on the more than 400 chemical compounds contained within cannabis.

We must move away from myth to truth and educate our young people on the dangers of this substance.

Remember, humans can pass laws to make marijuana legal—but we can never pass laws to make it healthy! Mature people are those who choose to operate in harmony with design law—the laws upon which life and health are built—so even when society makes something legal, if it is unhealthy, the mature wont damage their bodies with it.

• Improved self-esteem, from actual accomplishment and achievement

• Better physical health, from increased physical activity and the reduced firing stress pathways as we experience satisfaction with completing tasks, or fulfilling our life goals, aspirations, and dreams. Additionally, physical activity produces factors in the brain that causes the neurons to stay healthy, improves the ability of neurons to make new connections, thus improving learning and reducing the risk of dementia as we age.

• Development of our brain circuits that control physical movement, which in turn improves our thinking and reasoning. When we engage in physical activity, the striatal pathways in our brain, that initiate motor movement, develop, but these pathways not only initiate physical movement, they also initiate thinking, so as we develop and use these pathways, we improve our ability to initiate thoughts. The cerebellum, which is involved in making our physical movements smooth and coordinated, also helps smooth and coordinate our thoughts. Thus, when we stay physically active, we ultimately improve our thinking processes.

• Blesses and benefits those around us. As we engage in useful activity, it results in blessings in our environment, whether we are creating works of art or music to brighten the heart, or are mopping, vacuuming, and picking up trash to create clean environments, or growing food, all useful activity blesses those around us.

• Reduces burdens on others. By staying active, we reduce the likelihood of our own disability and the need for others to care for us.

• Harmonizes with the law of love, which is the principle of giving. The more we give, the more we receive. In every living system, the various parts are active in giving support to the other parts. The lungs actively work to give oxygen to the blood, which the heart sends through the body, but the heart benefits from the oxygen provided by the lungs. The digestive organs fill the blood with nutrients, but receive oxygen from the lungs and circulation sent by the heart. In a community, active people are constantly blessing those around them, while simultaneously being blessed from others. We receive benefits of electricity, clean air, water, emergency services, road crews that keep the roads clear, and so much more from people we will most likely never meet.

• Reduces the opportunity for temptation. This is perhaps one of the greatest benefits of useful work. Any time spent in usefulness not only produces all the blessings above, but is time unavailable for engagement in destructive and harmful activities. You’ve heard the old saying, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” When we are not engaged in useful activities, we are more vulnerable to temptations that result in harm to ourselves and others.

This week, I received an email with this question: “How can I find a counselor in my area that reasons and believes as I do?”

I am often asked to recommend a counselor, therapist, or psychiatrist for people living in various locations throughout the country. I have made it a policy not to recommend a specific provider unless I know him or her personally. However, the following are some guidelines you can use to find a mental health provider in your area best suited to your needs.
1. Determine what level of provider you need:

• For instance, do you need medication for mental health issues? Then you should be looking for a psychiatrist, not a psychologist, counselor, or life coach.
• Do you need someone to treat an adult, child, or adolescent? Many providers treat only adults or only children and adolescents; knowing this can narrow your search.
• Are you seeking individual or marriage counseling?
• Are you seeking a specific type of treatment, such as cognitive therapy, group therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy?
• Are you seeking treatment for a specific problem, such as PTSD or bipolar disorder? Then seek a provider with experience in the area you need.
• Are you seeking care for an aging family member? Then inquire if the provider is experienced with the problems of aging and dementia.

2. Identify other factors in your decision-making:

• How far can you travel to see the provider?
• Can you afford out-of-network care, or must you stay within your insurance panel?
• What level of confidentiality do you desire, and what level will you receive at each facility?

3. Determine any other variables important to you:

• Do you want a male or female provider—or does it not matter?
• Do you want a provider who holds similar values (e.g., shares your religious beliefs)?
• Do you want a provider who is capable of integrating holistic and alternative medicine elements into their practice?
• Do you want a psychiatrist who will not only prescribe meds, but if needed will also do therapy, or do you prefer therapy by a psychologist, social worker, or another counselor?
• Do you want a provider with a certain racial, cultural, or political background?
• Does the provider speak your native language or not.

4. Get input from trusted sources:

• Ask your pastor, friends, and co-workers if they know of providers they could personally recommend?
• Ask your primary care provider who they would recommend and with whom their other patients have had good outcomes.
• Don’t trust online reviews of mental health providers! Online reviews are typically skewed to the negative because angry patients will vent while satisfied patients either don’t think about going online to rate the provider or fear loss of confidentiality and don’t make online reviews. And those disgruntled with mental health services are often unhappy when they are faced with issues they would prefer to avoid. Meaning, the therapist was likely doing exactly what the patient needed, but the patient didn’t want to deal with it. Also, there are many people struggling with addictions who will be angry when they don’t get the prescription they are seeking. Realize mental health providers are prohibited from responding to public criticism and providing evidence that would put the negative feedback in a different light.
• A better source to check than patient feedback forums is the state licensing boards and the professional associations to see if any actions have been taken to restrict, redirect, or discipline a potential provider.
• Ensure the provider is licensed by the state and is in good standing.
• Check to see if the provider is board certified in his or her field.
• Inquire if the provider served in any leadership capacity in his or her field and is respected by their peers.
• Has he or she published articles, books, or other research?
• Realize advertisements are advertisements—paid for by the provider, and just because someone advertises they are a Christian provider, doesn’t mean they are the best provider for you. Consider the other elements and get input from trusted sources.

5. Once you have the answers to the above, it’s time to make a decision:

• If you must stay within your insurance panel, then get a list of providers on your panel and only evaluate those providers.
• If you must stay within a certain distance from your home, then only evaluate those within that radius.
• If you know you want a provider of a certain gender only, then eliminate from consideration the other providers.
• Once you have gone through these easily identifiable factors, with the remaining list get the input from friends, doctors, pastor; then check their credentials and select a provider and make an appointment.

Finally, in your initial appointment, not only is the provider evaluating you, but you are also to be evaluating them. Ask any questions you have about their methods, beliefs, values, policies, etc. Assess your comfort with them, then decide whether this provider is a good fit for you or not. If not, then go to another until you find one with whom you are comfortable working.

If you end up with a therapist that suggests an activity, intervention, or “therapy” that makes you uncomfortable, ask the provider to explain the rationale behind the recommendation, any evidence to its benefit, and the potential risks. If you are still unsure, tell the provider you will have to think about it. Then go home, do some research, get input from others, and then decide whether that therapy and therapist are right for you.

And don’t forget to pray for wisdom and God’s guidance in this selection process!

Have you ever struggled with loneliness? Have you ever been in a room full of people but felt isolated, disconnected, alone? Have you been tormented by an uneasiness within, a feeling that something isn’t right, a restless longing to fill some emptiness deep inside? And have you tried to fill this void, to find relief in television, video games, shopping, alcohol, drugs, sex, or allowing others to take advantage of you, just so they will like you—so you won’t be alone—yet the emptiness, loneliness, and uneasiness never go away?

If this describes your experience, don’t be discouraged; don’t accept the feelings as facts; don’t believe the lies that pound away inside your head. There is freedom; there is a healing solution. The truth will heal. The truth will set you free. And what is the truth?

YOU are loved! You are loved for who you are, because you are a child of God!

• It doesn’t matter whether you were abused, abandoned, or mistreated by people—God loves you and will heal your broken heart, if you let Him!
• It doesn’t matter whether you have made bad choices—God loves you and will teach you how to make healthier choices, if you let Him!
• It doesn’t matter whether you have been a prostitute—publicly thrown down on the street—Jesus said to just such a woman, “I don’t condemn you. I love you and want you to be whole. Go and live—live in harmony with how I have designed life to operate.”

Our worth, our value, is not determined by what we have done or what we will do, but by who we are—we are children of God, created by him to love and to be loved.

If you have struggled in your life to experience this love, if you have tried to read the Bible but found it hard to understand, filled with terms that seem legal or even harsh, then I invite you to explore God’s love in The Remedy New Testament an Expanded Paraphrase, which you can read for free here on our website (click here)—or you can get The Remedy app (click here) in your app store or as a printed softcover book on Amazon (click here).

In The Remedy, you will discover God’s remedy for your soul—His infinite, constant, never-ending love. God’s love is real; it is powerful and life-changing, and God’s love is poured out for you! Drink it in and you will never be lonely again!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 out of every 100,000 people will die by suicide. Most people have been impacted by this tragedy in one way or another, including me. Several years ago, after the death of his wife of fifty years, my great uncle ended his own life; he was simply unable to cope with the heartache, pain, and loneliness.

As a psychiatrist, I know all too well how the severely depressed can be overwhelmed by thoughts of suicide. I also know that in the aftermath of a suicide, those who loved the victims struggle with their own faith and worry that they will not see their loved ones in heaven.

This subject recently roared back into my mind when I received an email from a concerned parent who listens to our program online. He wrote to tell me that his daughter attends a Christian high school where another student had committed suicide. I can’t imagine the heartache that young man’s family is now going through, and my prayers and thoughts go out to them.

However, adding to this heartache, the daughter of our listener—along with other students and even some of the faculty—was struggling because she’d been told that the young man had committed an act of sin in the taking of his own life. He was even compared to Judas, and the students were told that because he, like Judas, committed suicide, he would be eternally lost.

I don’t condemn those who said these things, but it’s important to set the record straight about this unfortunate falsehood—a lie that misrepresents a loving God, one that likely injured vulnerable young people who are searching for meaningful answers in their grief. Because I fear such a misrepresentation will turn some of these students away from God, I believe it’s vital to address this subject.

The Real Reason Judas Was Lost
Judas is not eternally lost because he committed suicide; he is eternally lost because he rejected Jesus. Without Jesus, he became overwhelmed by guilt and committed suicide to escape this unbearable burden. Judas is not an example of what happens to those who commit suicide—he is an example of what happens to those who reject Jesus.

If we use the logic of those who hold Judas up as evidence that those who commit suicide are lost, we must then conclude, that, if like Samson, a person commits mass murder while committing suicide—they will be saved. After all, Sampson was reconciled to God and received supernatural strength to end his own life and the thousands in the temple with him. It’s clear that suicide bombers today don’t go to heaven because they killed others while killing themselves, even in the name of religion.

Death by suicide does not determine one’s eternal destiny. Why? Because suicide is almost always a symptom of an illness, a problem, or overwhelming distress—and not an act of sin, not a willful rebellion against God. Instead, suicide almost always happens when a person is in some type of horrible pain in which they lose all hope of escape. In that mindset, suicide becomes their only perceived avenue of escape from the pain. We help those who are struggling with thoughts of suicide by offering hope—the hope of escape from their pain. We help identify the source of the pain and provide real interventions that restore them to wellness. Sadly, though, not everyone realizes these other options of escape are available—and some, like my great uncle, succumb to suicide.

Many factors contribute to people finding themselves at increased risk of suicide—some of which the individual has no control over. Age, race, birth month, socioeconomic status, marital status, relationship stress, mental illness, physical illness, genetic vulnerabilities, geographic location, lack of sunshine, pollution, infections, trauma, and intoxicating substances—these are all factors that contribute to increased risk for suicide.

In our human experience, almost everyone has times of pain, heartache, discouragement, and hopelessness in which the idea that death might be better than life occurs. Even great heroes of God—remember Elijah?—can struggle with such discouragement. Yet we must remember that with God there is always hope, a hope based on a real God with real resources to heal and restore!

The Source of the Lie
From where does this idea that suicide is an act of sin that results in eternal loss come? It comes from accepting the lie that God’s law functions like human law—a system of rules with no consequence other than the ruling authority keeps track of what laws were broken and then punishes lawbreakers. For those who believe this way about God’s law, sin becomes all about behavior—the acts and deeds. The wrong deed or act, in this way of thinking, requires the direct infliction of punishment. Such thinking promotes this idea that God, rather than being merciful to the teen who lost the struggle against depression, hopelessness, and pain, will then inflict further torture and pain upon him as punishment for having committed suicide.

When we return to the truths that God is our Creator and His laws are the protocols upon which life and health are constructed to operate, we realize that deviations from His designs result in pain, suffering, and death. We understand that all nature groans under the weight of sin (Romans8:22). This means our physical condition can groan under the weight of mental illness, which can express itself as a variety of symptoms—including suicide. We realize that suicide is a symptom of other issues and not an act of deliberate rebelliousness and sin.

We can also know that God is constantly working to heal and restore His children.

So the questions we need to ask are: What is the condition of the heart of those who are suffering suicidal thoughts? Are these people like Elijah, a champion of God, whose heart was right with God, yet who suffered emotional discouragement, depression, and suicidal thinking? Or are their hearts like Judas, consumed with selfishness and who reject Jesus?

Suicide is a tragedy; it is never the best answer to a problem. In my practice, I often treat suicidal patients. My goal is to help them realize that what they almost always truly want is to escape their pain and not to die. Then I offer them other avenues of escape. And when they experience resolution of their pain, the suicidal thoughts resolve.

For those who have found themselves trapped in some situation, spiraling down into a pit of despair and who were unable to see other options of escape, and have died by suicide—what then? We must realize that such an act does not mean eternal loss. In these situations, we need to offer hope to those suffering from such loss; we must promote the truth about our God of love, and realize, that like Sampson, it isn’t how one ends their life on earth that determines their eternal destiny—it is whether or not they loved Jesus that determines their eternal destiny.

If you or someone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts, please call the national suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255.