Docs say no of cannabis addiction cases being reported is three per week, up from the three per month reported two years ago

Although many medical experts agree that cannabis is safe enough to temporarily alleviate the symptoms of certain medical conditions, the safety of recreational use is poorly understood. Its continued popularity among teenagers is fueling a rise in cannabis addiction. Medical experts in the city say the drug has negative effects on their cognitive abilities, social life, physical and mental health.

While three cases of cannabis addiction a month were reported two years ago, today it has gone up to three cases per week in the psychiatry OPD setting.

"There is a misconception that cannabis has medicinal benefits. Any drug consumed in excessive amounts is toxic. People abuse cannabis because it is an affordable drug and culturally accepted in our country," said Dr Amod Borkar, a clinical psychiatrist practising in Erandawane.

While Anita (name changed), a class XI student, started losing interest in academics and became psuedo spiritual, Karan (name changed), a firstyear engineering student, visited temples and dreamt of owning nira stalls in the city. A visit to a psychiatrist revealed that both were addicted to cannabis and were suffering from psychological problems due to excessive cannabis use. For the past two years, reported cases of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a rare syndrome associated with long-term chronic cannabis use that is characterised by recurrent nausea and vomiting associated with abdominal pain, has been rising. The syndrome was first identified by Siva P Sontineni and his colleagues, and was published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology (2009).

"I get patients who have mental and physical problems due to excessive consumption of cannabis. Some also show symptoms of CHS. Addicts also show signs of Amotivational Syndrome, a psychological condition associated with diminished inspiration to participate in social situations and activities. There have been cases of students not studying for exams; some times a cannabis user don’t even sit for the exam, and he/she doesn’t feel guilty about it," said Dr Swapnil Deshmukh secretary of Indian Psychiatric Society of Pune.

According to Dr Amar Shinde of Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre in Hadapsar, the negative health effects are many. "There are a lot of psychological problems linked with cannabis use. The physical effects are only observed recently. Addiction can also lead to social withdrawal."

Figures provided by the Anti Narcotics Department (AND) also indicate a rise in cannabis consumption in the city. "We have seized 521 kg of marijuana amounting to 70 lakhs in 2013 as compared to 148 kg in 2012. Even though the exact consumption amount cannot be determined, there is a sure rise in cannabis consumption in the city," said PI Sunil Tambe, AND.