Cannabis and Aspergers, My Experience by Anonymous

Dear Dr. Grinspoon,

I am an 18 year old with Asperger’s syndrome. Throughout High School I had flirted with Cannabis, trying it a couple of times, but I had never really gotten much out of it. I was unable to feel emotionally connected to people, unable to realize that other people had emotions, unable to show my emotions, and completely unable to escape my own head. I was an extremely unlikeable person, who because of the Asperger’s, was just always looking down on and insulting anyone, simply because I could not grasp that other people were capable of having emotions and being insecure. I was unlikeable, and I was too stuck in my head to even understand that. I was miserable in high school because I did not understand why I was unlikeable, I didn’t understand that my actions had consequences; I couldn’t put my behavior into context.

Over the course of the last semester, I began to very frequently use cannabis, as it helped to alleviate the social anxiety I constantly had to live with. Since I’ve begun to use Cannabis, I have been able to think about my behavior and it’s context for the first time. I’ve been able to learn to read body language and social cues on a scale I’ve never been able to before. I’ve been able to converse with people without constantly thinking and analyzing and worrying about everything I say and do. Most of all, I’ve learned to feel empathy. I’ve learned that being emotional isn’t a weakness. I’ve learned that my behavior has consequences on both me and the people around me. I’ve learned to value relationships, family, and humanity. I’ve learned that I don’t need to be so angry and cruel all the time. I’ve learned that I don’t always need to try to make everyone as miserable as me. Every single emotional breakthrough and behavioral realization has been made while on cannabis. Every single one of them. I’ve cried from happiness more in the past month as I’ve gotten to this point than I have at any point in my life.

Thank you Dr. Grinspoon for all the work you have done. Without you, I’m not sure I would be in the same place today. I cry thinking of how I used to be, and how I may still be that way if it wasn’t for Cannabis. Thank you so much for your service to the world. You have truly saved my life, and the lives of every family member who ever had the tough responsibility of caring for me.

Thank you for clearing up the facts about a plant that has given me a life I wouldn’t have had otherwise,

-Anonymous

PS. If you post this on your website, please remove my name. I hope to one day join you in the Cannabis research field, but until then, I hope that you will keep fighting for what is right.

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14 Responses to “Cannabis and Aspergers, My Experience by Anonymous”

  1. aspergas down-under says:

    long term cannibas use has aliveated my aspergas . Cured by cannibas. truely magnificent gift ,cannibas ,

  2. Brenda says:

    I am interested in your experiences. My 19 old son was diagnosed last year with Aspergers. Finally an answer to why my son was so “stand offish” with everyone. I would do ANYTHING to be able to connect with my child!!

  3. Nate says:

    I recently read a book called “The Social Animal” by David Brooks. In chapter 15 Brooks describes the difference between Level 1 cognition and level 2 cognition. Level 1 is the primal unconscious level of cognition, the level “sensitive to context,” and that “finds patterns,” that is associated with intuition, impulsiveness, proprioception, and perception, the level with “the ability to construct implicit beliefs,” that “is quite good at solving complex problems,” that “produces creative links and unlikely parallels,” the level that “rearranges the pieces of a problem until they create a harmonious whole.” Level 2 cognition is the conscious level of cognition. I believe marijuana use has allowed you to develop or tap into a deeper use of Level 1 cognition and has helped you learn to balance intuition and logic. I am happy that your life has improved due to marijuana use.

  4. Murat says:

    I am 34 years old and recently diagnosed with aspergers and adhd…. Everytime i smoke cannabis i get anxious, panic attack and paranoia but it only lasts 30 minutes after 30 minutes my mind slows down and i feel happy ,relaxed…happy feeling stays with me atleast 2 weeks after my smoking session..But i am doubtful if i m doing good by smoking when i know it gets me scared and panicky ..At the same time there is no other medicine that makes feel whole again.I should also mention that i cant get marijuana regularly because of it is illegal where i live in!.i dont dare to use adhd medicines or antidepressants cause i m sensitive to almost every thing food,scents medicines alcohol etc…can some one tell me what i should do ?

  5. Maui Medicine says:

    Everyone needs to work on Daily Detoxification. Research GlutaThione. I was also alergic to food, scents, etc. I like disolving GlutaThione Tablets 50 mg under the tongue. When I’m feeling Toxic, I also start feeling Aspbergers. Cannabis is a GOoD antiOxidant and promotes Brain NeuroGenesis.

  6. Anonymous says:

    MURAT. I also have aspergers and i am 26. i use to have the same issues when i smoked cannabis as a juvenile. When i was a kid my friends thought it would be funny to tell me to “smoke more then” after me telling them it made me paranoid. i also get feelings of anxiety and paranoia after not smoking for a long period of time and then doing it again.

    it seems to me it is like any other medication and can have some negative side effects at first but from what i have experienced these feelings of anxiety and paranoia will fade within days to a week max. i would also assume that maybe you are smoking sativa cannabis plants and i have a very hard time with strong sativa cannabis because they do not have a good thc to cannabinoid ratio for aspergers. most commercial cannabis is sativa. so what i would recommend is finding yourself a indica cannabis strain or to literally smoke more to raise your tolerance. i do not get any paranoia or anxiety from indica cannabis. its not that a sativa wont work but you would have to have a tolerance for thc to some point to overcome those negative side effects.

    what i recommend most is to READ. because it is an illegal plant most of your questions cant be answered by your doctor but many many people smoke this plant and most questions can be asked on google or in medical cannabis support forums.

  7. Hempinator says:

    I saw some videos on youtube that say using Marijuana raw is a better way if smoking is making you paranoid. Heating it up causes the high, eating it raw or drinking as a juice through a juicer does not. Just go to youtube and type in marijuana raw.

  8. Dave says:

    Hi

    Im 30 and I have Aspergers. During my youth I used to smoke copious amounts of cannabis, and yes it did help. However there came a point where it stopped helping and it moved into substance abuse, and I became constantly paranoid. It started having a negative effect on my life.

    I’m not saying don’t smoke it, because recently I have been considering taking it up again. I’m just saying be careful.

    As with anything, moderation is the key, and now I am an adult perhaps I will be able to moderate better than I could in my teens

  9. Paul says:

    I also used to use regularly as a young man in the sixties and early seventies and stopped when my wife became pregnant with our first child, mostly because marijuana was illegal. I was also experiencing paranoia.
    We now live in Colorado where it is currently (kind of) legal. After a thirty five year period without a whiff of marijuana, I have begun using it again. It has greatly helped with the chronic pain in my neck and shoulders that is associated with the work that I do. There are also many other benefits of course.
    I no longer experience any paranoia and believe it was a friend who gave me the key to avoiding it. I was told “if you have red eyes, a dry mouth, or paranoia- you’re overdosed”. I find this to be true- if I’m VERY careful about the amount that I use I have no problems whatsoever.

  10. Everyone should have be the right to apply marihuana for his or her personal. I intend this is an human right and to proscribe ganja with law is against them and against the world.

  11. Charlotte says:

    I have asd and have always loved cannabis. What I have discovered is when you get to the point that it feels it no longer helps, or that it is having negative effects, you need to take less of it and less frequently. So initially your body might really like it and enjoy taking in a lot, but over time you do need to take less. That is what I have learned from experience. I definitely believe though that it is, if not the cure, the solution for asperger’s syndrome. I am a singer and felt really oppressed by the fact that I could not have a singing career. My son has autism and I can not even leave my house with him and I have little help. My husband had issues with the singing thing for a while but as a result of my behavior on cannabis, we have gotten past that issue and a lot of things, including his hang up about cannabis itself. It helped me move forward, I’m now in school and have my son on some really good medications including cannabis because it is legal here and I got an authorization for my son. I discovered too with him that he really needed a much smaller dosage over time, one that does not necessarily make a difference in a day but could make a huge difference over his life time. He is already sleeping, eating and pooping like a normal child now, not just from cannabis but with all his medicine combined. Yes, it took three medications including cannabis to get him to eat! Anyway, as I said now I am in school and really focused on building a music career on the side, possibly as an independent artist, since going to the Voice is still unrealistic for me. Sometimes it will seem like cannabis is not helping but to me it always is, and again, the key is simply moderation. Don’t overdo it because it seems that once you start abusing it, it aggravates the symptoms and will make the people who care about you highly skeptical. That was precisely my experience. Luckily no one has tried to force me to quit, they simply ask me to moderate about it. I am glad that you have posted this. I really wish I could share it but none of my family or friends want to hear about cannabis despite that I know it is helping my son and myself. No, it is not the end all solution but it certainly helps a lot.

  12. Rocio says:

    A lot of thanks for every one of your labor on this web page. Debby take isetrent in making time for internet research and it’s simple to grasp why. My partner and i learn all regarding the lively method you provide great ideas via your website and cause response from other individuals about this content while our girl has been becoming educated so much. Take advantage of the remaining portion of the year. You’re conducting a useful job.

  13. bubblers says:

    Great article, cannabis is great for all sorts of ailments, they are even coming out with a strain that does not get you high, should open up a new market, thank you for sharing this!

  14. Captain says:

    I have noticed that the sativa strains does a better job than the indica.The sativa strain improves my mood and allivate the depression and i am able to have conversation without over thinking and the anxiety is gone.Even after getting sober from a sativa high the good mood remains.With the indica strain i gets me more withdrwn and even lazy.I lack the motivation to do anything.

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