“How Marijuana use can lead to psychosis” by Dr Lulu C’s in last week’s The Arusha News edition was seriously good. Wonder how many of our youths read it? Allow quoting one long significant sentence.
Dr Lulu C:
“Evidence also indicates that frequent use, early exposure and higher-potency cannabis products may increase the likelihood of experiencing adverse mental health effects.”
When I was young, the word mental health was “nuts”, “crazy”, “insane”, “mad.” In Swahili it was not “ulemavu wa akili” but “wazimu”, “kichaa”, “chizi”, “zibuka”, “fyatuka”, etc.
It was through playing music that I left Tanzania, decades ago. I have subsequently travelled across the planet witnessing fellow musicians smoking spliff, as casually as, they tuned guitars.
While working in a certain region of Europe around 25 years ago, a young Tanzanian was interested joining me on the road. There are not many Tanzanian musicians overseas therefore, he loved it. During that phase of my career, I was hanging out with mostly Latin, European and West African musicians. Some of course smoked bangi.
Soon, my young Tanzanian brother, joined in the occasional puff. I quickly warned him.
“These guys are professionals. Even if they smoke marijuana they are making a living, its part of their job. Don’t copy them. Blindly. Some of them didn’t go past primary school yet have built houses back home. Do not smoke bangi. This is not chai. Even chai may rot the teeth.”
HE DID NOT LISTEN.
He was soon addicted. The more I persisted making him stop the more he rolled marijuana. He was not a musician. He just loved being around us. In due course he said he was hearing voices. Talking strange, skipping work, accumulating debts. Drugs are expensive.
One night he tried to burn someone’s house using a can of petrol. Police arrested him. He was “sectioned.” Meaning he was detained according to a particular section of the Mental Health Act. When he recovered slightly, he was eventually deported to Tanzania. Many years later I heard he became aggressive and hurt someone and well, it is a long story. But Bangi Boy became worse and worse.
Like Dr Lulu C cautioned, “marijuana use can lead to psychosis.” In simple language, it may ruin your life.
