Marijuana May Increase Psychosis Risk
godpt3
Posts: 1,020
Jul 26, 7:25 PM EDT
By MARIA CHENG
AP Medical Writer
LONDON (AP) -- Using marijuana seems to increase the chance of becoming psychotic, researchers report in an analysis of past research that reignites the issue of whether pot is dangerous.
The new review suggests that even infrequent use could raise the small but real risk of this serious mental illness by 40 percent.
Doctors have long suspected a connection and say the latest findings underline the need to highlight marijuana's long-term risks. The research, paid for by the British Health Department, is being published Friday in medical journal The Lancet.
"The available evidence now suggests that cannabis is not as harmless as many people think," said Dr. Stanley Zammit, one of the study's authors and a lecturer in the department of psychological medicine at Cardiff University.
The researchers said they couldn't prove that marijuana use itself increases the risk of psychosis, a category of several disorders with schizophrenia being the most commonly known.
There could be something else about marijuana users, "like their tendency to use other drugs or certain personality traits, that could be causing the psychoses," Zammit said.
Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal substance in many countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. About 20 percent of young adults report using it at least once a week, according to government statistics.
Zammit and colleagues from the University of Bristol, Imperial College and Cambridge University examined 35 studies that tracked tens of thousands of people for periods ranging from one year to 27 years to examine the effect of marijuana on mental health.
They looked for psychotic illnesses as well as cognitive disorders including delusions and hallucinations, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, neuroses and suicidal tendencies.
They found that people who used marijuana had roughly a 40 percent higher chance of developing a psychotic disorder later in life. The overall risk remains very low.
For example, Zammit said the risk of developing schizophrenia for most people is less than 1 percent. The prevalence of schizophrenia is believed to be about five in 1,000 people. But because of the drug's wide popularity, the researchers estimate that about 800 new cases of psychosis could be prevented by reducing marijuana use.
The scientists found a more disturbing outlook for "heavy users" of pot, those who used it daily or weekly: Their risk for psychosis jumped to a range of 50 percent to 200 percent.
One doctor noted that people with a history of mental illness in their families could be at higher risk. For them, marijuana use "could unmask the underlying schizophrenia," said Dr. Deepak Cyril D'Souza, an associate professor of psychiatry at Yale University, who was not involved in the study.
Dr. Wilson Compton, a senior scientist at the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Washington, called the study persuasive.
"The strongest case is that there are consistencies across all of the studies," and that the link was seen only with psychoses - not anxiety, depression or other mental health problems, he said.
Scientists cannot rule out that pre-existing conditions could have led to both marijuana use and later psychoses, he added.
Scientists think it is biologically possible that marijuana could cause psychoses because it interrupts important neurotransmitters such as dopamine. That can interfere with the brain's communication systems.
Some experts say governments should now work to dispel the misconception that marijuana is a benign drug.
"We've reached the end of the road with these kinds of studies," said Dr. Robin Murray of King's College, who had no role in the Lancet study. "Experts are now agreed on the connection between cannabis and psychoses. What we need now is for 14-year-olds to know it."
In the U.K., the government will soon reconsider how marijuana should be classified in its hierarchy of drugs. In 2004, it was downgraded and penalties for possession were reduced. Many expect marijuana will be bumped up to a class "B" category, with offenses likely to lead to arrests or longer jail sentences.
Two of the authors of the study were invited experts on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Cannabis Review in 2005. Several authors reported being paid to attend drug company-sponsored meetings related to marijuana, and one received consulting fees from companies that make antipsychotic medications.
---
Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee, Wis., contributed to this report.
By MARIA CHENG
AP Medical Writer
LONDON (AP) -- Using marijuana seems to increase the chance of becoming psychotic, researchers report in an analysis of past research that reignites the issue of whether pot is dangerous.
The new review suggests that even infrequent use could raise the small but real risk of this serious mental illness by 40 percent.
Doctors have long suspected a connection and say the latest findings underline the need to highlight marijuana's long-term risks. The research, paid for by the British Health Department, is being published Friday in medical journal The Lancet.
"The available evidence now suggests that cannabis is not as harmless as many people think," said Dr. Stanley Zammit, one of the study's authors and a lecturer in the department of psychological medicine at Cardiff University.
The researchers said they couldn't prove that marijuana use itself increases the risk of psychosis, a category of several disorders with schizophrenia being the most commonly known.
There could be something else about marijuana users, "like their tendency to use other drugs or certain personality traits, that could be causing the psychoses," Zammit said.
Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal substance in many countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. About 20 percent of young adults report using it at least once a week, according to government statistics.
Zammit and colleagues from the University of Bristol, Imperial College and Cambridge University examined 35 studies that tracked tens of thousands of people for periods ranging from one year to 27 years to examine the effect of marijuana on mental health.
They looked for psychotic illnesses as well as cognitive disorders including delusions and hallucinations, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, neuroses and suicidal tendencies.
They found that people who used marijuana had roughly a 40 percent higher chance of developing a psychotic disorder later in life. The overall risk remains very low.
For example, Zammit said the risk of developing schizophrenia for most people is less than 1 percent. The prevalence of schizophrenia is believed to be about five in 1,000 people. But because of the drug's wide popularity, the researchers estimate that about 800 new cases of psychosis could be prevented by reducing marijuana use.
The scientists found a more disturbing outlook for "heavy users" of pot, those who used it daily or weekly: Their risk for psychosis jumped to a range of 50 percent to 200 percent.
One doctor noted that people with a history of mental illness in their families could be at higher risk. For them, marijuana use "could unmask the underlying schizophrenia," said Dr. Deepak Cyril D'Souza, an associate professor of psychiatry at Yale University, who was not involved in the study.
Dr. Wilson Compton, a senior scientist at the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Washington, called the study persuasive.
"The strongest case is that there are consistencies across all of the studies," and that the link was seen only with psychoses - not anxiety, depression or other mental health problems, he said.
Scientists cannot rule out that pre-existing conditions could have led to both marijuana use and later psychoses, he added.
Scientists think it is biologically possible that marijuana could cause psychoses because it interrupts important neurotransmitters such as dopamine. That can interfere with the brain's communication systems.
Some experts say governments should now work to dispel the misconception that marijuana is a benign drug.
"We've reached the end of the road with these kinds of studies," said Dr. Robin Murray of King's College, who had no role in the Lancet study. "Experts are now agreed on the connection between cannabis and psychoses. What we need now is for 14-year-olds to know it."
In the U.K., the government will soon reconsider how marijuana should be classified in its hierarchy of drugs. In 2004, it was downgraded and penalties for possession were reduced. Many expect marijuana will be bumped up to a class "B" category, with offenses likely to lead to arrests or longer jail sentences.
Two of the authors of the study were invited experts on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Cannabis Review in 2005. Several authors reported being paid to attend drug company-sponsored meetings related to marijuana, and one received consulting fees from companies that make antipsychotic medications.
---
Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee, Wis., contributed to this report.
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never again.
"Call me Ishmael. Some years ago- never mind how long precisely- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world." Herman Melville : Moby Dick
*~You're IT Bert!~*
Hold on to the thread
The currents will shift
SHUT UP YOUR STONED
oh ya
this is paranoia not psychosis.
Don;t smoke the weed at band camp..it's laced with drain cleaner...
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
Doctors have long suspected a connection and say the latest findings underline the need to highlight marijuana's long-term risks. The research, paid for by the British Health Department, is being published Friday in medical journal The Lancet.
The researchers said they couldn't prove that marijuana use itself increases the risk of psychosis, a category of several disorders with schizophrenia being the most commonly known. There could be something else about marijuana users, "like their tendency to use other drugs or certain personality traits, that could be causing the psychoses," Zammit said.
They looked for psychotic illnesses as well as cognitive disorders including delusions and hallucinations, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, neuroses and suicidal tendencies.
They found that people who used marijuana had roughly a 40 percent higher chance of developing a psychotic disorder later in life. (so your risk increases to 1.4%, is this what they're saying?) The overall risk remains very low. One doctor noted that people with a history of mental illness in their families could be at higher risk. For them, marijuana use "could unmask the underlying schizophrenia," said Dr. Deepak Cyril D'Souza, an associate professor of psychiatry at Yale University, who was not involved in the study.
"The strongest case is that there are consistencies across all of the studies," and that the link was seen only with psychoses - not anxiety, depression or other mental health problems, he said. (this seems to be in direct conflict with what is said in the second paragraph above )
Scientists cannot rule out that pre-existing conditions could have led to both marijuana use and later psychoses, he added
"We've reached the end of the road with these kinds of studies," said Dr. Robin Murray of King's College, who had no role in the Lancet study. "Experts are now agreed on the connection between cannabis and psychoses( this same article says it can't be proven! What experts are agreeing on (at least the ones picked to contribute to this article) is a hypothesis - big deal! I guess that's it, nothing was proven, but it is the definitive study, might as well pack 'er in.).
In the U.K., the government will soon reconsider how marijuana should be classified in its hierarchy of drugs. In 2004, it was downgraded and penalties for possession were reduced. Many expect marijuana will be bumped up to a class "B" category, with offenses likely to lead to arrests or longer jail sentences.
(ah, it's coming clearer now )
Two of the authors of the study were invited experts on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Cannabis Review in 2005. Several authors reported being paid to attend drug company-sponsored meetings related to marijuana, and one received consulting fees from companies that make antipsychotic medications.
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! THIS IS THE MOST TRANSPARENT BULLSHIT I'VE EVER SEEN. They admit that they have no proof of any of the claims they're making….Then they interview a bunch of doctors that weren't involved so that there is no questioning the money trails….and release it right before they review classification.
i work at a mental health and chemical dependency hospital... i've seen many patients go to chemical dependency unit boarding on mental health for abusing marijuana
So it's a complete non-story, right? I don't get the point of reporting this at all unless they're trying to push an agenda.
no...you've seen many people with most likely pre-existing conditions that MAY have had those conditions aggravated by marijuana.
For some people yes.
Some just get clean shave...(the giggles, provocative concentrated thought, and the munchies)
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
I hear the next study will be how marijuana causes mexicans & blacks to rape white women.
It will show you what the real story is.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0214730/
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
LOL I just watched that again the other night.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Great flick! Especially when, you know, you're under the influence.
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http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/mpohbp/2006/3/i06/html/mp060066m.html
I've read a ton about it tho….
Heeeeeyyyy….bit torrent, duh! Between that and the Zinn movie you posted (thanks btw), looks like I have my lame Friday evening planned!
Hey, I like spending my friday nights doing lame things like this so it's not all bad.
I've got some PJ dvds someone sent me to entertain myself with tonight.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
No I haven't seen that either...I forgot he made a doc out of it (it WAS released well after the book, right?). bit torrent is going hard tonight!
....I did just d/l the audiobook (ya ya
I don't know when it was released...I caught it on sundance one night by chance.
Enjoy your Zinn.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
If you are a psycho... don't smoke pot.
Hail, Hail!!!
That's why they should legalise acid instead. :cool:
Have you tried it?
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
http://www.essaydepot.com/essayme/1055/index.php
Just someone's college essay, but more enlightening than a newspaper article...
my sister's best-friend got married to some punk who would take acid constantly... she had to break-up with him for that... now he's in an asylum with his brain fried... he doesn't even know who his kid is.
Too much of anything can be bad.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde