You seem to be a very smart man but a bit ignorant to Bi-polar and Marijuana.  Before I even new i was Bi-polar I used Marijuana because I wasn't able to function and keep a job without it.  Know I use it on a regular basis with depakote and nuerontin because if I don't I would be setting on my couch as a zombie.  It's really funny how people who have never experienced mentally what I go through on a day to day basis can use there knowledge that they have learned from doctors and anti-drug organizations but yet really have no clue what they are talking about and that is obvious from your statment.  If I told you that lithium is the best bi-polar medicaton you would have no problem excepting that, but did you know how damaging that medication is to a person's kidneys, heart, and thyroid glands but its ok.  Since you are such a smart obviously you already knew that.  Can you tell me other than the tar that you inhale into your lungs please give me one scientific long term health problems one can occur that is more detramental than lithium, or the liver problems a person can occur from depakote.  I hate to tell you but you won't find anything.  I have researched and done college papers on long term affects of marijuana use and there are very few.  So good luck on your ignorant theory of Marijuana.

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You know it is hard to convince people to believe in something. I have used the drug myself for 5 yrs. Now it is 7 yrs. that I ve quit smoking it. I am a bi polar manic, too. I dont know if I have the illness bcs I used to smoke. See, a substance which distorts how the mind perceives the world you live in is a dangerous thing. So, please dont go aroung and say that it is a good thing to smoke pot. I mean if you re gonna do it, fine. But dont be writing and encouraging people to do it. İf you are using lithium than drink lots of wate, eat healthy, and do sport - that way you can maybe avoid the side affect. And plus do you see a difference between legal and illegal. There is a reasoun why pot is illegal and lithium not. Think again...

The reason why pot is illeagle is that it's too difficult for the government to tax.

LOL like tobaco

You are so right. Hey, if it works for you, it's the way to go.  That old fart never smoked a joint in his life and if he ever took Lithium he would never ever have anything negative to say about marijuana!

You seem to be a very smart man but a bit ignorant to Bi-polar and Marijuana.  Before I even new i was Bi-polar I used Marijuana because I wasn't able to function and keep a job without it.  Know I use it on a regular basis with depakote and nuerontin because if I don't I would be setting on my couch as a zombie.  It's really funny how people who have never experienced mentally what I go through on a day to day basis can use there knowledge that they have learned from doctors and anti-drug organizations but yet really have no clue what they are talking about and that is obvious from your statment.  If I told you that lithium is the best bi-polar medicaton you would have no problem excepting that, but did you know how damaging that medication is to a person's kidneys, heart, and thyroid glands but its ok.  Since you are such a smart obviously you already knew that.  Can you tell me other than the tar that you inhale into your lungs please give me one scientific long term health problems one can occur that is more detramental than lithium, or the liver problems a person can occur from depakote.  I hate to tell you but you won't find anything.  I have researched and done college papers on long term affects of marijuana use and there are very few.  So good luck on your ignorant theory of Marijuana.

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It very quickly lifts you out of your current state of mind into one that you perceive is better. If your life is that pathetic to start with, the answer is to work on improving your life, not escaping into drugs.

Very true Mr. M !!

It would have been nice to have had that realization as a younger person.

You know ... I think most BP's using marijuana are self medicating either their

depression or " enhancing"their manias . 

 In my experience it " felt " like it was calming the mania , but I think it

was fuel for the fire. I could not get enough during a hypomania.

I can FROM EXPERIENCE say that it is NOT helpful for this illness.

Yep..that is MY experience . I think the thing to consider here is

the fact that this illness causes judgement impairment. ESPECIALLY

when manic , where as we know , NOBODY can tell me what to do...

cause after all... I'm not the one with the problem .

Ok Mr smart guy. Did u know that when u are Bipolar you can fall into a state where u are not motivated to do anything with your life? Did you know that Being a BP can make u feel parinoid as well?, Loss of appetite? loss of sleep as well. Matter fact u cant even sleep most times at all when u r Bipolar. Which actually makes the symptoms worse when u lose sleep. Are u serious about what u said ''Not even a drug company can come up with a med as stupid as pot''. Wow so like all the meds they have over counter and prescriptions for do not even have side effects or damage your body at all. U know they u cant even overdose and die off od meds. Yeah right There is not one recorded event of someone dying of smokin canibus. But people die everyday on prescribed drugs. Look at Michael Jackson! He couldnt sleep! He took sleeping pills next thing u know he didnt wake up! I'm not saying to get high its good for BP's but I am saying they need to research it because I do feel that Canibus does has a healthy effect on BP's. But I also believe that it should be regulated on its use just like any other meds that require a certain measurment of intake. I think some people abuse the smoking of canibus and get too high. I believe they shouldnt smoke too much to get high but to get a small buzz which may help regulate there mood swings over time. I tried it and it helped me feel very calm. Matter fact I was diagnosed with Bipolar in the army and knew nothing about canibus and Bipolar. Until I was smokin with my friend and felt much better the next day after coming down from that high and suddenly put two and two together and started to research if smokin canibus helps Bipolat patients. Im seeing alot of people agree to that.

You have a great point. People condemn the usage by saying there's little research on pot use and BP. Yet they then tell you it's detrimental. How do we know if there's little research? Aren't we really talking moderation anyway? If I'm hypo-mixed, should I take 10 mg. of Klonopin? No. Maybe. JK. A little weed helps. Too much masks the symptoms. Then it's hard for my wife to recognize it. She's my monitor. It is a hallucinogen. Too much affects perception. We BP's have a hard enough time with that as it is. Bad day, puff. Friend over, puff. Not every day all day after work and weekends.

This thread perfectly illustrates America's ignorance when it comes to pharmaceuticals and marijuana.

John McManamy, the so called "Expert" wrote, "Look at the side effects: Loss of rational control of the brain, paranoia, appetite stimulation, sleep inducement, loss of reflexes, and on and on. Not even a drug company could come up with a med as stupid as pot."

Do you have any idea how ignorant and dangerous that comment is? Some poor Joe could read your "expert" status and swear to never use marijuana (a substance with no linked deaths in all of human history) and spend their days numbed and depersonalized by hazardous anti-depressants and other harmful meds that get pushed in this country like they are candy.

I would bet big money then, John, that you have never been sufficiently stoned on high grade cannabis. The spiritual/introspective revelations brought forth through cannabis can have long-lasting positive effects regardless of ones current neurological balance/imbalance. And beyond the revelations and insights from cannabis, many people with BP will attest that cannabis has an 'equilibrium' effect on their moods, allowing them to be happy and focused, without the 'numbing' properties of many prescriptions.

While I do agree that many potheads use BP as an excuse to get high, the majority of your advice is downright dangerous and misleading. You write with such certitude that your credibility is enhanced, but your advice is tragically misguided.

I feel an obiligation to stand up for what is right and what is true- and your advice neglects both.

Let me ask u this DO YOU HAVE BI-POLAR??? Because if you dont then u need to refrain from giving your opinion on this subject. I was finally diagnosed in 2004, I was put on 5 diffrent drugs to help and do u know what they did to me, I was a freaking zombie I could not function on a day to day basis. And OMG the side effects are terrible. As with any drug u have to learn your limits and know when to say when. It in no way impairs my judgement, it in no way slows down my reflexes, it in no way messes up my liver or my kidneys or my thyroid. I have no side effects, i sleep at night i can make rational decisions, i can function on a day to day basis and live like a normal person. Do you have any idea what its like living with bi-polar and trying to have a normal life????? It's hard as hell and the drugs didnt help but pot does, it is an instant fix, it doesnt take weeks it doesnt make me suicidal or paranoid, point in fact it helps, i can be as normal as is possible, when i smoke i dont have the anxiety or the extreme mood swings, the highs the lows do you know how bad that sucks????? Because me and everyone who has this illness does. I dont think anyone who doesnt have this is qualified to say that pot usage in people with bi-polar is wrong.

I have been living with bipolar for over 14 years, since my late teens. I have been on every possible drug and drug concoction known to mankind for treatment of this disorder, including lithium, lamictal, clozapine, abilify, paxil, depakote, you name it. Eventually, I developed debilitating side effects from each type of treatment and ended up in the ER--the most dangerous cases coming after 3 years of lamictal, had rashes all over my body, my skin was flaking off and I wasn't able to sit down because my entire body ached from the pain of the rash, and lithium, which almost made me have liver failure at the age of 21.

My manic episodes used to be VERY bad, weeks without sleeping, talking non-stop, not being able to STOP myself from moving at a crazy frenzied pace, even as I was being supervized and medicated by a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and a team of doctors. After all the drug treatments pretty much ran out (as I developed side effects that would have killed me from every single drug treatment), I one day picked up a joint per the recommendation that it would "mellow me out" and help me calm down, sleep, and stop talking 24/6 at a rate of 100 words per minute (even when I was alone, to myself, simply because I had to keep moving and talking). I have not had a manic episode like I used to in over 4 years of smoking, and have felt 100% FINE without ANY OTHER MEDICATION. I can now sleep, I don't get manic, I'm not really depressed, I'm getting my life back together, and I am not dead in the ER with a rash eating away at my skin and other organs. I don't know where you get off saying "Marijuana is the stupidest drug" ever invented: in my experience, those would be the drugs that sent me into the ER, almost needing a liver transplant after a year of "not stupid medication" prescribed by a doctor.

As I have been smoking for 4 years (daily), I have visited my doctor constantly for blood tests, and also have recently had a lung x-ray done just to check in on my lungs. I am told I am 100% healthy, my liver function and lung capacity are at 100%, and I feel great, haven't had a BAD manic episode like I used to get in the 4 years.  You clearly have learned your info second hand from the anti-drugs lobby, and have no actual knowledge about the real side effects of the REAL problem culprits, i.e., lithium, lamictal, abilify (let's not even go there and the horrible side effects that had for me!)... Basically, no one has ever died from smoking too much pot, yet many die every year or are seriously injured from side effects of bipolar drugs. So stop your ignorant preaching, get off your high horse, and actually read a study about marijuana and how it doesn't really have significantly disruptive side effects such as ... death and organ failure. 

     Let's talk a little about side effects shall we! Every drug I have ever used has a list of side effects. Ranging from very rare to common. When addressing the side effects of marijuana compared to that of many other drugs being used, anyone who has been on both can tell you the major differences in the ability to maintain their lives. The wellbeing of the patient is paramount.

I have not found a single Psychopharmacological drug on the market that has the same benefits on my life. I have been fairly experimental in trying quite a few treatments. Having said that, I can affirm that marijuana dosage is very important. I would like to see not only more research into the effective dosages, but also a more accurate way to administer said dosages.

One large scale problem in many of the statistics I have seen on marijuana use and the creation of mental illness is this: It is a "chicken and the egg" argument. Without extensive research to show direct connections it is impossible to make any assumptions. Quite simply, people who do not fit the standard mold of society tend towards certian sub-culture settings. Would it be difficult to see that these settings have the greatest component of illegal drug use?

Many people like myself didn't develope bi-polar disorder until our late teens to early twenties (a common onset). Though we had plenty of social, emotional, and psychological difficulties before then. Simply put we were pre-dispositioned to being exposed to marijuana, not the other way around. I did not start experimenting with marijuana as a treatment or otherwise until only a few years ago, I wish I had know then what I know now! (I am 30 years old)      

You clearly dont have a clue about what effecte mariguana has on most people. Your argument is also illogical.  you say that "Certainly, smoking a joint or even sharing one is overkill"- indicating tha ta minuscule amount would do the job- tha tmeans that it does do the job.

 you also say  "the "side effects": Loss of rational control of the brain, paranoia, appetite stimulation, sleep inducement, loss of reflexes, and on and on." Yet when i was prescribed Lamotragine, i developed a skin rash that could havew killed me- who developed that idiocy? Depression is about perceptions, if i am depressed and can do something to make my perception change, adn i am not as depressed, then the drug works.  You might want ot ask yourself why there is not one single conclusive stuidy that demonstrateds that Pot does not. Every single "scholerly" article i have read, and i read a lot says things like " it appears to " or it has been sugggested that"  not one that says it had been "Proven that" .... pot is in any way a dangerous drug.  in fact there is study after study that show the effects dangerous, long term, and toxic effects of Prescription drug after prescription drug. YOu are a mouthpiect who hasnt actually spent any time critically thinnking about this issue.

If yo udont know what you are talking about, please stop giving people advice.

You clearly dont have a clue about what effecte mariguana has on most people. Your argument is also illogical.  you say that "Certainly, smoking a joint or even sharing one is overkill"- indicating tha ta minuscule amount would do the job- tha tmeans that it does do the job.

 you also say  "the "side effects": Loss of rational control of the brain, paranoia, appetite stimulation, sleep inducement, loss of reflexes, and on and on." Yet when i was prescribed Lamotragine, i developed a skin rash that could havew killed me- who developed that idiocy? Depression is about perceptions, if i am depressed and can do something to make my perception change, adn i am not as depressed, then the drug works.  You might want ot ask yourself why there is not one single conclusive stuidy that demonstrateds that Pot does not. Every single "scholerly" article i have read, and i read a lot says things like " it appears to " or it has been sugggested that"  not one that says it had been "Proven that" .... pot is in any way a dangerous drug.  in fact there is study after study that show the effects dangerous, long term, and toxic effects of Prescription drug after prescription drug. YOu are a mouthpiect who hasnt actually spent any time critically thinnking about this issue.

If yo udont know what you are talking about, please stop giving people advice.