From a young age, our Bilal was the kind of child people marvel at: compassionate, silly, talented, and brilliant. Graduating early and starting college at 16, he had more education, social engagement, employment experience, and mental health support than most young men his age.
Bilal was raised between St. Thomas and Georgia in two highly skilled, educated, and spiritually aligned families. Cannabis or alcohol were not encouraged by either parent, but that wasn’t enough to prevent misuse. He started smoking around 15 or 16 and quit three jobs due to paranoia to avoid confrontations with his supervisors. Improper self-medication worsened his symptoms. Concerned with his changing behavior, we relocated him to live with family near Atlanta.
At 17, when he realized he wasn’t in control of his own mind, he asked for help to voluntarily commit himself to a mental health institution. There he was diagnosed with schizophrenia after sharing scary symptoms like delusions, tactile hallucinations, suicidal and homicidal thoughts. Paranoid, he ran away from multiple mental health institutions, fearing for his perceived safety.
From homeopathic medicine to psychotherapy, a change of environment to multiple hospitals, we tried just about everything. His father even attempted to house him again but decided to protect Bilal’s siblings from potential harm, as did I after he attacked his older brother.
Out of fear of hurting his family again, Bilal chose to be homeless acquiring additional legal charges—not out of malice—but hopelessness and survival.
There WERE durations where he appeared to improve, but he still struggles with symptoms. According to his public defender, Bilal’s mental health continues to decline while in jail without access to appropriate medical treatment. He is no longer eligible to enroll in external mental health related programs due to additional charges from fighting in jail. The attorney’s attempts to get Bilal into mental health court have not yet been successful, and over a month ago Bilal stopped calling.
Since sharing Bilal’s story, countless other families have reached out. The pattern often begins with disbelief in Cannabis-Induced Psychosis and can lead to tragedy.
Parents don’t wait until you’re powerless—when the outdated laws stand between you and your child’s safety. We’re still seeking help, but mental health needs more funding, NOT more prisons.
Cannabis-Induced Psychosis IS real.
It happened to my child.
Educate yourself and your child on the harms of THC at JohnnysAmbassadors.org.
If you’re concerned about your child’s THC use, visit JohnnysAmbassadors.org/parents and join our private Parents of Children with Cannabis-Induced Psychosis (POCCIP) group at www.facebook.com/groups/POCCIP.