Cannabis can curb loneliness, isolation

Cannabis can do many things, but one of her most beautiful benefits is it can help us develop a sense of tribe in our communities. At ReLeaf, we have spent 10 years creating connection and community among those that come through our doors. We have seen the benefits in individuals’ health and mindset time and time again.

In May, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory about the epidemic rates of loneliness and isolation in our country. This level of attention is a result of the forced shutdown of many social events and the need for social distancing. However, these sentiments and feelings were experienced by many even prior to 2020.

Dr. Murthy states, “Disconnection fundamentally affects our mental, physical and societal health. In fact, loneliness and isolation increase the risk for individuals to develop mental health challenges in their lives, and lacking connection can increase the risk for premature death to levels comparable to smoking daily.”

A small side bar: Smoking cannabis has not been shown to lead to premature death in the same manner that tobacco is linked to premature death.

That said, cannabis consumption has been proven to lead us to camaraderie by sharing an experience, having a lot of laughs and making good stories to tell at future cannabis sessions. It brings people together that may not have a lot in common. After all, if there is nothing else to speak of you can discuss the nuances of the cannabis you are sharing.

More than likely, you will have more in common than you first thought.

The advisory also notes: “Social connection is beneficial for individual health and also improves the resilience of our communities. Evidence shows that increased connection can help reduce the risk of serious health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, dementia, and depression.”

There is a big buzzword in there — did you catch it? Resilience. About 20 years ago, a theory was put forward suggesting that resilience was lacking in our population, that resilience could be measured and that resilience could be taught and learned. For those who want to dig deeper the authors of “The Resilience Factor” (2002) were Reivich and Shatte.

Their theory has been repackaged into so many different self-improvement brands and methods, you wouldn’t be able to count the copycats on all of your fingers and all of your toes. In any case, “resilience” has become a big buzzword in our mental health community. Again, those who turn to cannabis find it helpful in so many ways.

The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect can heal our bodies, and its intoxicating charms can provide stress relief in a safe, nontoxic form that doesn’t create a chemical dependence.

The importance of the community and self-reliance cannot be understated. When we give someone who is suffering alternative treatment options, it is empowering. When they discover they can grow their own cannabis and heal themselves, it becomes more so.

These activities were not mentioned in the surgeon general’s suggestions, but they align well with some of his other suggestions. I will summarize his six recommendations here.

• Strengthen social infrastructure by designing environments that promote connection, establish and scale community connection programs, and invest in institutions that bring people together.

• Enact pro-connection public policies like accessible public transportation or paid family leave that can support and enable more connection.

• Mobilize the health sector: Health care providers are well-positioned to assess patients for risk of loneliness and intervene.

• Reform digital environments to ensure how we interact digitally does not detract from meaningful and healing connection with others.

• Deepen our knowledge to further our understanding of the causes and consequences of social disconnection.

• Cultivate a culture of connection: We cannot be successful in the other pillars without a culture of connection.

All these goals can be pushed forward by the cannabis community sharing knowledge about cannabis treatments and including all visitors to cannabis-centric events.

The psychosocial factors affecting our individual and collective health have been overlooked for far too long. It is refreshing to see this information being presented at the highest levels.

Now, it is our responsibility as a community to take the surgeon general’s guidance and create connection with our fellows. Help us open minds and hearts to connect with each other, to share knowledge and a little herb to heal our bodies, minds and spirits collectively.

Come join us at ReLeaf or at one of many local events hosted by the cannabis community and see if it provides you what you are looking for, and then pass it on and invite someone else to join our cannabis community. All are welcome.

This article appears in Sep 7-13, 2023.