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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.