Cannabis use leads to psychosis

SamIam · 03-01-2010, 10:57 AM

Quote:

LONDON (Reuters) - Young people who smoke cannabis or marijuana for six years or more are twice as likely to have psychotic episodes, hallucinations or delusions than people who have never used the drug, scientists said on Monday.

The findings adds weight to previous research which linked psychosis with the drug -- particularly in its most potent form as "skunk" -- and will feed the debate about the level of controls over its use.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6201LW20100301

I guess this will add more fuel to the fire in the debate to legalize marijuana. I never heard of skunk before, but then I am not a smoker.

Glinda · 03-01-2010, 11:06 AM

Quote:

LONDON (Reuters) - Young people who smoke cannabis or marijuana for six years or more are twice as likely to have psychotic episodes, hallucinations or delusions than people who have never used the drug, scientists said on Monday.

I guess it's a good thing I didn't pick up any bad habits until I was well into my 20s.

Undertoad · 03-01-2010, 12:06 PM

These studies come out every few years and they generally fail to account for the fact that people who suffer from psychosis will self-medicate, and weed is the first medication of choice. (Although my dead psychotic ex-nephew in law self-medicated with industrial-strength opiates...)

We also know that the percentage of people diagnosed with psychosis has not risen, even as weed gets more popular and stronger. If 40% of regulars developed serious mental illnesses, we would certainly notice that.

It's not empirical evidence, but my buddy who has smoked every day since the early 70s is still the most intelligent person I know.

piercehawkeye45 · 03-01-2010, 12:06 PM

Well it makes sense that any psychedelic drug with hallucinogenic effects will increase the risk of a condition that involves hallucinations.

Weed is a tricky drug. From all the studies and personal experience I've gathered it seems that it can potentially be beneficial if used in moderation but can be dangerous if abused. But, weed affects everyone differently so it is extremely difficult to generalize. Weed may lessen the effects of anxiety (when sober) on one person but may cause anxiety (when sober) on another. I find it ironic that weed, when abused, can cause almost all of the psychological conditions that it is suppose to help with. Depends on the person. Depends on the type of weed. Depends on the dosage.

Harder psychedelic drugs (LSD, shrooms, etc) can really fuck some people up though. Some of the permanent side effects from those are just as bad or worst than any other drug IMO. Once again, someone could take 2,000 LSD hits over a lifetime and be fine and someone else could get HPPD from one. If you have any history of schizophrenia, never use harder psychedelics and I would recommend staying away from weed as well.

Happy Monkey · 03-01-2010, 12:17 PM

It appears they tried to account for some alternate explanations, by doing sibling studies as well, but since siblings can develop psychoses independently of each other anyway, I don't see how that helps with the cause or effect (self-medication) question.

Pie · 03-01-2010, 01:15 PM

They'd compare rates. If you have a bunch of sibs and the ones that medicate get psychoses at a greater rate than those who don't, then the drugs had an effect.

Happy Monkey · 03-01-2010, 01:35 PM

That doesn't differentiate between "ones that medicate get psychoses" and "ones that get psychoses medicate" (or, "ones with X medicate and get psychoses", for that matter).

The people here aren't lab rats; you can't have a control group of people who are prevented from taking drugs even if they would have; and that's the control group that you would need to have in order to indicate causation as well as correllation.

Pie · 03-01-2010, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

The people here aren't lab rats; you can't have a control group of people who are prevented from taking drugs even if they would have...

Ever seen the design of a double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial?

Flint · 03-01-2010, 02:29 PM

What's the placebo group here, they give some people fake pot?

Pie · 03-01-2010, 02:52 PM

No, I wasn't saying this was a d-b-p-c-t, just that such things do exist.

Happy Monkey · 03-01-2010, 03:00 PM

Right. I shouldn't have implied that you can only do such things with lab rats. The important difference is that this wasn't a clinical trial of cannabis, it was a study of people outside the control of the researcher, and as such I couldn't see a way for there to be a control group that could indicate causation.

classicman · 03-01-2010, 03:12 PM

They're just cannabis deniers.

jinx · 03-01-2010, 07:09 PM

Gravdigr · 03-18-2010, 02:16 AM

Aren't these the most vibrant, beautiful butterflies you've ever seen? What? Whaddya mean there ain't no butterflies?

[The Dude] Far out man, far fucking out.[/The Dude]

Beest · 03-18-2010, 08:39 AM

A recent New Scientist article ( I'm not a New Scientist spambot honestly) said that weed basically has two components, one of which is an anti-psychotic. Selection to produce ever stronger strains and skunk, have reduced or elimnated this anti-spychotic component, so modern strains are more likley to produce spychotic effects in the susceptible, than the weed of yesteryear.
It was posited as an argument for legalization so that the amount of the seconf component could be regulated.

03-01-2010, 12:06 PM	#4
piercehawkeye45 Franklin Pierce Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,695	Well it makes sense that any psychedelic drug with hallucinogenic effects will increase the risk of a condition that involves hallucinations. Weed is a tricky drug. From all the studies and personal experience I've gathered it seems that it can potentially be beneficial if used in moderation but can be dangerous if abused. But, weed affects everyone differently so it is extremely difficult to generalize. Weed may lessen the effects of anxiety (when sober) on one person but may cause anxiety (when sober) on another. I find it ironic that weed, when abused, can cause almost all of the psychological conditions that it is suppose to help with. Depends on the person. Depends on the type of weed. Depends on the dosage. Harder psychedelic drugs (LSD, shrooms, etc) can really fuck some people up though. Some of the permanent side effects from those are just as bad or worst than any other drug IMO. Once again, someone could take 2,000 LSD hits over a lifetime and be fine and someone else could get HPPD from one. If you have any history of schizophrenia, never use harder psychedelics and I would recommend staying away from weed as well. __________________ I like my perspectives like I like my baseball caps: one size fits all.

03-01-2010, 12:17 PM	#5
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	It appears they tried to account for some alternate explanations, by doing sibling studies as well, but since siblings can develop psychoses independently of each other anyway, I don't see how that helps with the cause or effect (self-medication) question. __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

03-01-2010, 01:15 PM	#6
Pie Gone and done Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 4,808	They'd compare rates. If you have a bunch of sibs and the ones that medicate get psychoses at a greater rate than those who don't, then the drugs had an effect. __________________ per·son \ˈpər-sən\ (noun) - an ephemeral collection of small, irrational decisions The fun thing about evolution (and science in general) is that it happens whether you believe in it or not.

03-01-2010, 01:35 PM	#7
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	That doesn't differentiate between "ones that medicate get psychoses" and "ones that get psychoses medicate" (or, "ones with X medicate and get psychoses", for that matter). The people here aren't lab rats; you can't have a control group of people who are prevented from taking drugs even if they would have; and that's the control group that you would need to have in order to indicate causation as well as correllation. __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

03-01-2010, 02:29 PM	#9
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	What's the placebo group here, they give some people fake pot? __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

03-01-2010, 12:06 PM	#3
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	These studies come out every few years and they generally fail to account for the fact that people who suffer from psychosis will self-medicate, and weed is the first medication of choice. (Although my dead psychotic ex-nephew in law self-medicated with industrial-strength opiates...) We also know that the percentage of people diagnosed with psychosis has not risen, even as weed gets more popular and stronger. If 40% of regulars developed serious mental illnesses, we would certainly notice that. It's not empirical evidence, but my buddy who has smoked every day since the early 70s is still the most intelligent person I know.

03-01-2010, 02:52 PM	#10
Pie Gone and done Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 4,808	No, I wasn't saying this was a d-b-p-c-t, just that such things do exist. __________________ per·son \ˈpər-sən\ (noun) - an ephemeral collection of small, irrational decisions The fun thing about evolution (and science in general) is that it happens whether you believe in it or not.

03-01-2010, 03:00 PM	#11
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	Right. I shouldn't have implied that you can only do such things with lab rats. The important difference is that this wasn't a clinical trial of cannabis, it was a study of people outside the control of the researcher, and as such I couldn't see a way for there to be a control group that could indicate causation. __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

03-01-2010, 03:12 PM	#12
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	They're just cannabis deniers. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

03-01-2010, 07:09 PM	#13
jinx Come on, cat. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area Posts: 7,013	__________________ Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.

03-18-2010, 02:16 AM	#14
Gravdigr The Un-Tuckian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: South Central...KY that is Posts: 39,517	Aren't these the most vibrant, beautiful butterflies you've ever seen? What? Whaddya mean there ain't no butterflies? [The Dude] Far out man, far fucking out.[/The Dude] __________________ These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, EPA, FBI, DEA, CDC, or FDIC. These statements are not intended to diagnose, cause, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you feel you have been harmed/offended by, or, disagree with any of the above statements or images, please feel free to fuck right off.

03-18-2010, 08:39 AM	#15
Beest Adapt and Survive Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ann Arbor, Mi Posts: 957	A recent New Scientist article ( I'm not a New Scientist spambot honestly) said that weed basically has two components, one of which is an anti-psychotic. Selection to produce ever stronger strains and skunk, have reduced or elimnated this anti-spychotic component, so modern strains are more likley to produce spychotic effects in the susceptible, than the weed of yesteryear. It was posited as an argument for legalization so that the amount of the seconf component could be regulated.

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