Ryan Garcia is suffering from cannabis-induced mania that could lead to far worse problems, according to an ex-UFC fighter with experience.
Jake Shields, an MMA star and five-time world champion, says he had a friend who bore the same symptoms as Garcia has in recent weeks.
Garcia had been making wild claims, having manic episodes, and threatening to harm himself over two weeks. Since his fight with Devin Haney was confirmed, things have worsened considerably for the 25-year-old.
The New York State Athletic Commission has since requested a mental evaluation of Garcia before allowing him to trade blows next month.
However, Shields believes the problem is much more serious than that and could result in Garcia being institutionalized before he realizes what the problem is.
Ryan Garcia symptoms
“I’m not defending NSAC [Commission], but Ryan Garcia is almost certainly getting manic due to smoking weed,” stated Shields. “This isn’t something that I thought wasn’t real until I saw it happen to two friends. When they stopped smoking, the mania went away. When they started again, it returned.”
He added that the escalation will continue unless Garcia gets the right help or puts down the blunt.
“They get so attached to the weed that they will blame it on other things and say they are fine until institutionalized. But I want to add the vast majority of people who smoke will be fine. In a small percentage, it leads to schizophrenia. This is well documented in Europe but ignored in America. “It is also over a period of weeks or months, but they often don’t realize that they are going crazy.
“It’s very real, and people don’t want to admit it. He’s showing the exact signs of weed-induced mania. I’m curious: is he a new smoker?”
Take a break from smoking
Shields concluded: “I don’t agree with the commission messing with him, but he should take a break from smoking.”
Eventually, Shields gets a response from someone who has suffered the same events. They said: “The same thing happened to me, so when he made weird instagram posts and tweets, it clicked immediately.
“It’s definitely weed-induced mania on his part. Hope he gets the help he needs.”
At this point, the Haney vs Garcia fight will be canceled unless a massive turnaround happens in the next 24 to 48 hours. Garcia can save the fight but must detox his body and focus solely on training.
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