The man smoked the equivalent of six joints in two bong rips
A man in Thailand cut off his own penis using a pair of scissors during a psychotic episode after he smoked 2g of weed using a bong.
The 23-year-old had quit using cannabis for three months but smoked the equivalent of six joints in two bong rips prior to the unfortunate episode.
Two hours after smoking the drug, he began to have a painful erection.
In an attempt to solve the problem, he decided to use a pair of scissors to "trim" the skin of his penis before amputating it completely, leaving him with a 2cm stump.
When the bleeding didn't stop, he finally sought medical attention two hours later at a hospital in the city of Chiang Mai.
Detailing the case in the
Journal of Medical Case Reports (warning: contains graphic images), Dr Theerapon Tangsuwanaruk explained how doctors briefly considered trying to reattach the man's penis but it was found to be "contaminated with ants" and deemed "too dirty and fragile for reconstruction."
His psychosis was so strong that he continued to experience hallucinations for two weeks whilst in hospital recovering.
After a fortnight stay in hospital, the man was finally able to urinate while seated and reported that the hallucinations had ceased.
After being interviewed by psychiatrists, professionals concluded that the man was not suicidal and diagnosed him as having suffered from a substance-induced psychotic disorder.
Dr Tangsuwanaruk said that the man may have been suffering from a case of priapism when he experienced the painful erection. This is when an erection lasts for longer than four hours.
However he said it was impossible to confirm this as the self-amputation took place before the four-hour mark.
The
NHS advises that anyone experiencing an erection lasting longer than two hours call 999 or go to A&E.
Whilst smoking cannabis can cause mild hallucinations, this was not normal psychosis.
Cannabis-induced psychosis is a known potential side effect of the drug though - but it is very rare for this to result in cases such as this.
Some reports state that there have been about a hundred cases of male genital self-mutilation from psychiatric disorder or substance-induced psychosis in the last 20 years.
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