Before he developed psychosis in his early 20s, Ilyas Khamis says his cannabis use had become a 鈥渇ull-blown addiction.鈥�
By the end of Grades 10 and 11, he was smoking marijuana every day, a habit that continued into his studies at the University of Ottawa.
鈥淚 was using all the time and I couldn鈥檛 wake up and go to class,鈥� he told CTVNews.ca. 鈥淚t was every day, multiple times a day, as much as I could afford to.鈥�
He鈥檇 experienced his first bout of hallucinations when he smoked a joint at age 13, what he now considers 鈥渇oreshadowing鈥� of later episodes. At university, mood changes and worsening depression, a condition he鈥檇 already dealt with for much of his life, became confounded by other symptoms. He experienced what is known as 鈥渄elusions of reference,鈥� when a neutral event or coincidence is believed to have personal significance.
鈥淥ne time I saw a cop car across the street and immediately thought 鈥楾he police are coming after me. I鈥檓 going to jail,鈥欌�� he recalled, adding that he was sober at the time. 鈥�(Cannabis) kind of triggered something as far as I could tell.鈥�
After a suicide attempt brought Khamis to the hospital, he received the general diagnosis of psychosis, a symptom of several mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, in which people have difficulty distinguishing between . Though much research is still needed in the area of cannabis-induced psychosis, Khamis has since stopped using the drug and works as a peer counsellor for people with psychosis. On Wednesday, he joined Dr. Robert Zipursky, a scientific adviser for the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario, on CTV鈥檚 Your Morning to bring awareness to the issue. Recent figures from the Canadian Institute for Health Information suggest there has been a steady rise in cannabis-induced psychosis in recent years. While there is more research to be done, Zipursky said the links between cannabis and psychosis are becoming more clear.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 exactly know who鈥檚 vulnerable. It seems like all of us are vulnerable,鈥� he said, but some people seem to be at 鈥渋ncreased risk.鈥�
Those subgroups include people with family history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, those who use cannabis on a daily basis, and people who use high-potency forms of cannabis. Studies have shown that cannabis use can lead to acute psychosis that may dissipate within a few weeks, he said, but those who have experienced acute psychosis are at increased risk of developing schizophrenia.
鈥淧eople who develop an acute psychosis with cannabis have about a 50 per cent chance of ending up with schizophrenia in the long run,鈥� he said on Your Morning.
The precise science of it all is still uncertain, Zipursky added. 鈥淗ow that actually happens we鈥檙e not clear about. There is some early research showing that there may be some brain changes.鈥� Young people who have used cannabis have exhibited some evidence of cognitive changes related to memory and attention, which Zipursky said points to 鈥渘egative effects on the actual substance of the brain.鈥�
Khamis, who has received varying diagnoses including schizoaffective disorder, said his health has improved greatly since adopting a self-care routine and taking medications. He鈥檚 also very much in favour of the recent legalization of recreational cannabis use in Canada.
鈥淚鈥檓 fully on board. I think that having an open conversation around it where it鈥檚 not stigmatized is a big thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his opens up a pathway to more research.鈥�
