Marijuana and Mental Health: A Call for Legal Controls

I don't know if this has been posted yet. I found it interesting.


From NORML.ORG:

Subject: Marijuana and Mental Health: A Call for Legal Controls

February 8, 2006

Dear NORML supporters,

The Drug Czar is at it again, this time claiming that pot leads to mental illness. "A growing body of evidence now demonstrates that smoking marijuana can increase the risk of serious mental health problems," says the Czar. "New research being conducted here and abroad illustrates that marijuana use, particularly during teen years, can lead to depression, thoughts of suicide, and schizophrenia."

But Drug Czar John Walters isn't the only one hyping this latest round of "Reefer Madness." A recent study published in the British Medical Journal alleges, "The use of cannabis accounts for about 10 percent of cases of psychosis" worldwide, sparking a recent round of US headlines: "Studies link psychosis, marijuana use."

So what's the truth regarding cannabis and mental health? NORML's new report, "Cannabis, Mental Health and Context: The Case For Regulation," attempts to set the record straight, noting: "To date, there is a limited body of data noting an association albeit a minor one between early use of cannabis and increased symptoms of depression, psychotic symptoms, and/or schizophrenia based on a handful of longitudinal studies. This statement, however, is hardly an indictment of marijuana's relative safety when used in moderation by adults or an endorsement of the federal government's efforts to criminally prohibit its use for all Americans. If anything, just the opposite is true."

Full text of this report is now available online at: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6798

Cannabis use does not appear to me to cause mental health problems, but cannabis prohibition certainly causes Reefer Madness!

Thanks for all the charity provided by NORML's many supporters as the organization principally relies on citizens, like YOU, who care about changing cannabis laws. If possible, please join, renew, buy a NORML-related product or make a donation @ https://secure.norml.org/join/

Regards and thanks again,

-Allen St. Pierre
Executive Director
Member, Board of Directors
NORML/NORML Foundation
Washington, DC
[email protected]