A man developed manic symptoms after self-medicating COVID-19 with cannabis

What the researchers found

The patient presented with one week of pressured speech, poor sleep, destructiveness, irritability, and altered mental status after two weeks of using homemade remedies including cannabis to treat COVID-19 symptoms. He had no prior psychiatric history, no previous substance use, no chronic conditions, and no family psychiatric history. Urine was positive for THC. Manic symptoms resolved within two weeks of treatment with carbamazepine, chlorpromazine, and diazepam.

Why it matters

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven increased self-medication with unproven remedies, including cannabis. This case illustrates how cannabis use by someone with no prior exposure or psychiatric vulnerability can trigger a psychiatric emergency.

The numbers in context

Age 52. No prior psychiatric history. Two weeks of cannabis-containing home remedies. One week of manic symptoms. THC-positive urine. Symptoms resolved in 2 weeks with mood stabilizer, antipsychotic, and sedative.

How the study worked

Single case report from Uganda. Documented a 52-year-old man with first-episode mania temporally linked to cannabis self-medication for COVID-19. No prior psychiatric or substance use history.

What this study cannot tell us

Single case. Cannot rule out other ingredients in the home remedy. COVID-19 itself may have contributed to neuropsychiatric symptoms. No prior baseline psychiatric assessment available.

How to read the evidence

Single case report. Cannot establish causation but documents a concerning temporal association.

When this study was published

2021 case report from Uganda.

The bigger picture

Self-medication with cannabis during the pandemic is a growing concern, particularly in regions where cannabis is traditional medicine. First-episode mania in a 52-year-old with no risk factors highlights that cannabis-induced psychiatric events can occur even in individuals without apparent vulnerability.

Questions still open

• How common is cannabis-induced mania during COVID-19 self-medication? Could the inflammatory state of COVID-19 increase vulnerability to cannabis-induced psychiatric effects? Were other remedy ingredients contributing factors?

Common questions

Read the original research

Cannabis-Induced Mania Following COVID-19 Self-Medication: A Wake-Up Call to Improve Community Awareness.

International medical case reports journal, 14, 121-125

Citation

Kaggwa, Mark Mohan; Bongomin, Felix; Najjuka, Sarah Maria; Rukundo, Godfrey Zari; Ashaba, Scholastic. (2021). Cannabis-Induced Mania Following COVID-19 Self-Medication: A Wake-Up Call to Improve Community Awareness.. International medical case reports journal, 14, 121-125. https://doi.org/10.2147/IMCRJ.S301246

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