Cannabis use Increases Risk of Psychotic Illness (Oh Boy)

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Cannabis use increases risk of psychotic illness

• 01:16 27 July 2007
• NewScientist.com news service
• New Scientist and Reuters

Using marijuana increases the risk of one day developing a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, according to a study that provides some of the strongest evidence yet linking the drug to a mental disorder.
Marijuana is one the most commonly used illegal substances in many countries, with up to 20% of young people in places such as Britain reporting either some use or heavy use, British researchers said, citing government statistics.
Many consider it on par with alcohol or tobacco but the results shows marijuana poses a danger many smokers underestimate, said team member Stanley Zammit, a psychiatrist at Cardiff University and the University of Bristol in the UK.
The researchers found that marijuana users had a 41% increased chance of developing psychosis marked by symptoms of hallucinations or delusions later in life than those who never used the drug. The risk rose with heavier consumption.
"If you compare other substances like alcohol or tobacco, it may not be as harmful, but what we are saying is neither is it completely safe," Zammit said.
Other findings have highlighted the link between marijuana use and the risk of schizophrenia-like symptoms such as paranoia, hearing voices and seeing things that are not there.
But this study marks one of the most comprehensive, thorough and reliable reviews of its kind and should serve as a warning, two Danish researchers wrote in an accompanying article.
Raise warning

They said the results mean an estimated 800 cases of schizophrenia in the UK could be prevented each year by ending marijuana consumption.
"We therefore agree with the authors' conclusion that there is now sufficient evidence to warn young people that cannabis use will increase their risk of psychosis later in life," they wrote.
The team did not look directly at people who used marijuana but instead reviewed 35 studies in search of a potential connection between psychotic illness and using marijuana.
They reviewed evidence from studies ranging from one year to 27 years and only looked at research that did not include people already showing signs of psychotic illness.
The researchers also adjusted for factors â?? such as depression or a susceptibility to harder drugs â?? that could one day lead to a mental disorder to focus more directly on the links between marijuana and psychosis, Zammit said.
"We have described a consistent association between cannabis use and psychotic symptoms, including disabling psychotic disorders," the team wrote.
But both Zammit and the Danish researchers said ultimate proof to show a direct relationship would be have to come through a randomised trial of healthy young people and long-term follow-up.
Such a study, however, is unlikely given marijuana is illegal in most countries and the ethical questions given the drug's known harmful effects, they said.

Symptoms of schizotypy precede cannabis use.
UKCIA forum :: Research :: Symptoms of schizotypy precede cannabis use.

Cannabidiol as an antipsychotic Clinical Studies and Case Reports

Cannabis does not induce schizophrenia,
Cannabis does not induce schizophrenia, Dutch scientists say

Cannabis use does not cause schizophrenia Cannabis use does not cause schizophrenia

Granny:hippy:

No... IT DOES NOT!!

Ah, much thanks for posting those links StormCrow, I tip my big wizards-hat to you :) .

But, once again, this research has managed to massively disappoint me. I love researching neuro-biological effects associated with various drugs, and once again this study "linking marijuana to schizophrenia" doesn't actually give a neuro-biological explanation for the link. Rather, it's just another of the age-old fallacies of drawing a conclusive link between the substance and chemical by association only, not by actually explaning the mechanistic catylist.

I'm really surprised how many "researchers", as they seem to fancy themselves, draw such conclusive suppositions based solely on relationships. It's a well-known fact among the medical community that people who develope schizphrenia almost always have precurser psychoemotional trauma of some sort, or a chemical imbalance usually causing chronic depression or anxiety (thus aggrivating the mental-state enough to eventually develope schizophrenia). It can only expected that, suffering on a daily bases with a pre-clinical mental disorder, such people would be prone to self-medicate with cannabis.

This is the same crap as the "kids are 4 times more likely to be violent if they smoke cannabis". Not taking into consideration that kids who are generally violent come more predominately from low-class, crime-ridden neighborhoods where the social environment is much more enthusiastic about flaunting the law and living by the guidelines set out by a government that's failed to remedy their living conditions.

Argh, this is why I really wanted to become a medical researcher and use proper logical methodology to influence public opinion. But alas I doubt my ability to make it through all the required math.

My dad smoked pot for like 30 years and is sane as a whistle.
My mother mostly never smoked pot and she has become psychotic/amnesiac in the past year.
In any event, I'm not gonna stop smoking pot because of one survey :rasta:

Just saw it on my iGoogle homepage, thought I'd share it regardless of how inane it the evidence is behind it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jdub61

My dad smoked pot for like 30 years and is sane as a whistle.
My mother mostly never smoked pot and she has become psychotic/amnesiac in the past year.
In any event, I'm not gonna stop smoking pot because of one survey :rasta:

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My dad smoked pot for quite a while and got put in juvey, taken away from his parents, had hallucinations, and was suicidal. Now if this was from weed or other shit, he isn't really sure. All I know is he is pretty smart and different from most people, and an example that lets me know you need to respect drugs.

I was pretty upset reading that on CNN online, then Fox online, then the seeing the local news at noon. But after reading some posts around, I feel better. Thank you.

in reply to post #1 concerning post #2

...pwned