After reading A Night in Jail, a riveting story based on true events, I just had to learn more about the inspiration for the book and the topic in general.
I spoke with co-author H. A. Swan to hopefully get my questions answered.
JDJ – What inspired you to write the book?
HAS – My brother, Kirk, was a homeless drug addict with schizophrenia who went to jail eighteen times. For many agonizing years, our family didn’t know where he was, how to help him or if he was even alive. How did this happen? Growing up, he was an ambitious and athletic kid with good grades and a lot of friends. He came from a well-educated and loving home.
HAS – Our family tried to help him repeatedly over the years, including giving him an intervention where he refused to accept treatment. Finally, to our great relief, Kirk got out of jail, quit drugs and received psychiatric treatment. The full story is here. Once on psychiatric medication, he saw his life anew and became very depressed as he understood all that he had thrown away. He moved in with our elderly mother who greatly helped to stabilize him. With Kirk under her good care, he and I were able to talk about what his life was like when he was in the throes of his illness.
HAS – What he told me was heartbreaking. But he was also giving me a glimpse into what was going on in his head all those years. It seemed like his story could also be the story of so many other homeless and mentally ill people we see more and more of on our streets today.
HAS – During the same time we were having these conversations, I discovered articles about studies which showed a connection between chronic teen marijuana use and schizophrenia. John Kelly, professor of psychiatry in addiction medicine at Harvard Medical School says, “Some people may have a genetic propensity for mental illness like schizophrenia that only manifests under certain conditions. In these individuals, chronic exposure to THC over time might trigger a switch that turns on the genes that promote psychosis.” (1) It was shocking to me this was not common knowledge.
HAS – I asked Kirk if he wanted to share his story to warn other teenagers about the recent research. He said yes.
HAS – Now, years after we began this journey, kids are vaping in alarming numbers and marijuana legalization has increased the perception that it is safe. It is exponentially more important everyone understands marijuana is not safe for teenagers and studies have linked it with mental illnesses like schizophrenia. (2) Some adults think kids are resilient and will recover from a bout of alcohol or drug use as easily as an adult. Recent research shows substance use to have greater, sometimes irreparable, damage to a brain under the age of 25. Further, a growing brain is far more vulnerable to become addicted than that of a brain which is fully developed. (3) The National Institute on Drug Abuse says 50% of teens who use marijuana on a daily basis will become addicted. It needs to be common knowledge that teenagers could be putting their mental health at risk if they decide to get high. And they may never recover. (4)
JDJ – Many people who grew up in the 60’s and 70’s feel that they have gained a hard-fought victory with the legalization of recreational marijuana. Have you found any resistance to the book?
HAS – I wouldn’t say I’ve had resistance to the story we wrote. Equal parts fiction and nonfiction, we wanted the novella to be its own artistic exploration of addiction and mental illness. Has there been resistance to our message that teen pot use can contribute to adult mental illness? Absolutely. When that happens, I point them to the scientific research. There are links to a few short videos and some recent articles on our website
HAS – Our message is not to debate marijuana legalization for people over 25 or its medicinal benefits. Our message is one we feel is not discussed nearly enough: that recent research which shows an association between teen marijuana use and psychosis, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, increased risk for suicide. (5)
Additionally, adults need to understand that the pot of today is not the pot of the 60’s, 70’s or 80’s. It has been modified and is several times stronger than it was even fifteen years ago. (6) These high potency products create a greater risk for addiction and mental illnesses. (7)
JDJ – How is Kirk doing now?
HAS – Kirk is doing very well. His daily life is dedicated to recovery. He lives in a sober group home in Indio and has a lot of friends. After the 12 Step Meetings he attends, he says he chases phone numbers the way he used to chase drugs.
My brother loves A Night In Jail. He says if sharing his life helps steer one person away from drugs he will be satisfied.
JDJ – Thank you for sharing Kirk’s story with our readers and providing us with invaluable resources. I know you will help a lot of people.
