NHS is forced to open Britain’s first clinic for cannabis psychosis victims
CANNABIS-induced psychosis has reached crisis levels, forcing the NHS to open the first clinic specifically treating addicts of the mind-altering drug, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The clinic has been launched by a leading psychiatrist who warns that psychosis among users of skunk – a very strong strain of cannabis flooding the streets – has become ‘a crisis that we can simply no longer ignore’, with tens of thousands affected.
In recent years there has been a series of shocking killings committed by cannabis users who had developed psychosis – due to their use of the drug.
The clinic launch comes amid mounting calls for the legalisation of cannabis for recreational use, with Tory MP Crispin Blunt among the pro-campaigners. Among the current patients at the clinic is a former trainee teacher who is now too addled to even read a book.
Dr Marta Di Forti, one of the principal doctors at the clinic, based at the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘This is a crisis of highpotency cannabis that we can simply no longer ignore. This clinic is now responding to that crisis.
‘For years, desperate families have been unable to access the treatment their loved ones need and they have simply fallen through the cracks.’ Dr Di Forti, a consultant adult psychiatrist and lecturer at King’s College London, said she decided to launch the clinic after being overwhelmed by the number of psychosis patients with a history of cannabis use. ‘It became ridiculous how many psychosis patients were also cannabis smokers,’ she said. ‘Two thirds of my psychosis patients had a history of cannabis use.’ Of the former trainee teacher, Dr Di Forti said: ‘He has a degree and professional skills but because he’s stoned all day, he can’t even read a book at the moment. He was training to be a teacher before cannabis took over his life but right now his main goal is simply to be able to use his brain again.’
Dr Di Forti warned against following the lead of Canada and the US states of California and Colorado, where legalisation has seen usage increase. ‘My concern is that there is no way you can legalise recreational cannabis without cannabis use going up, as has happened in America, and there is a potential for a lot of people to come to harm,’ she said. ‘You therefore need resources to help those people and you also need education to teach people about the dangers.’
Consultants at Dr Di Forti’s clinic – The Cannabis Clinic For Patients With Psychosis – include Professor Sir Robin Murray, who first proved a link between cannabis and psychosis, and Prof Ann McNeill, the UK’s leading smoking and tobacco expert.
The clinic, which is funded by the Maudsley Charity, opened earlier this month. Treatment includes anti-psychotic medication and motivational meetings to wean patients off cannabis.
Dr Di Forti said: ‘The problem has been that while you’re trying to do all these things to help patients with their psychotic episodes, they are smoking from half an hour after they wake up until just before they go to bed, so they’re basically stoned all the time.
‘Often they will be so stoned they will have no motivation to address their psychosis. That is something we have to work through.’