Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder affects over 3 million U.S. citizens per year. Though more common in males than females, it is relatively prevalent in both, and mounting anecdotal evidence is suggesting that cannabis may be the answer for many.
Pharmaceutical drugs used to treat ADHD have side effects that include sleep problems, a decreased appetite, delayed growth in children, headaches, stomach aches and horrible cases of moodiness. Aside from its potential to relieve the symptoms of ADHD, cannabis is known to treat all of the aforementioned side effects as well.
Before weaning off medication, however, it is extremely important that you consult your physician, preferably a doctor that is familiar with the endocannabinoid system.
The thing is, for many people, including those living with ADHD, the stimulant type drugs that are prescribed make it even more difficult to concentrate and keep things in recent memory. The mind literally reels and, though the meds have proven somewhat effective for countless patients, the side effects are severe, especially for children.
Cannabis is a potentially safe alternative. Recently, Joseph Lazarus told Tonic that, “I felt like someone turned on a light switch in my head,” regarding his first time smoking weed. The immediate effects were astounding, “I heard the birds chirping for [what seemed like] the first time,” he said. He also stated that the leaves looked greener and that he felt the wind tickle his skin. “I was one with the forest, a wooded forest. I was so calm.” Lazarus was only 13 years old when he discovered cannabis medicine.
Diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 6, Lazarus had not felt “normal” up to that fateful toke. Now 33 years old, he hasn’t stopped using cannabis to combat the disorder and sees it as an essential part of his daily routine. Now into vaping, cannabis has been his “drug of choice” since the incident in the woods – even if its illegality did land him in an institute for troubled teens early in life.
With anecdotal evidence like this, we can only hope that more research will be done in this area and that others experiencing the ADHD ride might be able to benefit from no-side-effect bearing cannabis rather than a handful of questionably effective pills.
