Hundreds of Cork people hospitalised with mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids over five years

HUNDREDS of Cork people have been hospitalised with mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids in the last five years.

Figures provided by the HSE show there were 115 Cork in-patient and day-case discharges from acute hospitals in 2023, compared to 76 the year before. There were 98 in 2021, 111 in 2020, and 96 in 2019. The figures do not include emergency department or out-patient attendances.

A HSE spokesperson said people who use cannabis in their teens have an increased risk of developing a significant mental health problem such as psychosis or schizophrenia, and those who use cannabis regularly are more likely to experience episodes of depression or anxiety. 

“In recent years, cannabis has been grown under conditions that make it much stronger in THC and lower in CBD. More THC means that there is a higher risk of the negative effects associated with cannabis including the risk of dependency,” they said.

Addiction treatment centre Coolmine’s south-west manager, Brian Duncan, told The Echo the increased potency of cannabis can have a significant impact on young people’s brain development.

“Last year, 14% of all people we worked with presented with cannabis as their primary problem,” said Mr Duncan, adding that these “tend to be younger people”.

“Nearly all of our clients who present with other drugs would use cannabis also.”

Cannabis dependence is now the most common reason for people under 25 in Ireland to present for addiction treatment, even more common than alcohol dependence, said the HSE.

Mr Duncan said: “Cannabis is also complicated by mental health conditions, one makes the other worse — cannabis exacerbates the mental health problems and that makes them feel they need to use more drugs. If there’s any susceptibility to mental health illness, then using cannabis at a younger age may be the trigger that starts it off.

“A difficulty with cannabis is that it seems relatively socially acceptable. There’s not the same stigma with cannabis and it may not create as many difficulties or consequences for people, but a cohort will develop a dependence and find it very difficult to stop.”

HSE head of drugs and alcohol services in Cork and Kerry David Lane said that the increased availability of synthetic cannabis is a huge worry.

“We have been calling for a closer look at some of the loopholes that exist around synthetic drugs online and in certain shops and their use,” said Mr Lane. 

“Some products are marked as not fit for human consumption, but we know they are being consumed by people, and we don’t know exactly what’s in them or their strength, but we’re seeing some of the reactions people are having. This includes episodes of psychosis that can land people in hospitals or acute mental health units.

“The first message we share is not to use these substances, but if people take them anyway, we encourage harm reduction tactics — not using on their own, not to take as much as might be suggested by friends.”