Long-time cannabis use linked to psychosis: study

[Yes4Prop215]

i think the latest shooting at the pentagon kinda illustrates MJ use and mental illness. apparently the guy used cannabis alot, and as he got older he started getting more and more paranoid about government conspiracies and shit.

damn i hope im not on that track, is it bad that i even feel sympathy for joe stack and JP for attacking the government? i mean i really do not trust those fuckers at all but im not about to strap up and shoot it out i got weed to smoke, girls to bang, and black diamonds to crush!!

 

[yossman]

Don't belive the hype,toke on fellas

 

[nowonknows]

Here is a good link on the subject.

http://www.alternet.org/story/145879/anti-pot_propaganda_as_stupid_as_ever_--_yet_our_alarmist_media_continues_to_hype_it

 

[dmt]

isnt that what television, media and the military do(psychosis)? things arent solid anyway, why not see it for what it is, energy, d

 

[PhenotypeX]

When im really high and im trying to complete a task, i have noticed myself exibiting minor symptoms of psychosis. Constant setting down items and forgetting where i put them usually forces me to pace back and forth around my house looking for it only to find it was right in front of my face.

 

[texsativa]

The research led by John McGrath from the University of Queensland in Australia was based on a survey of 3,801 people with an average age of 20.1 years, the US-based Archives of General Psychiatry reported.

"Among all the participants, a longer duration since the first time they used cannabis was associated with multiple psychosis-related outcomes," the study said.

Of the group, 17.7 percent reported using cannabis for three or fewer years, 16.2 percent for four to five years and 14.3 percent for six or more years.

Which group, the total population or the group experiencing a psychotic episode? That is the problem with this article, there are too many holes.

17.7+16.2+14.3=48.2% are consuming cannabis in this group, whichever it may be...lets just assume total population.

Would the majority of those suffering from psychosis in this population be people who do not consume marijuana?

Approx 20% of Australians consume marijuana, one of the highest nations on earth. But here we see 48%. Could the increase in consumption of marijuana in this patient population be secondary to the self medication of schizophrenia or a comorbid disorder? Could it also be secondary to increased consumption in this age demographic? A lot of 20 year old college students smoke marijuana.

Of the group, 17.7 percent reported using cannabis for three or fewer years, 16.2 percent for four to five years and 14.3 percent for six or more years. Sixty-five were diagnosed with "non-affective psychosis", such as schizophrenia, and 233 had at least one hallucination, the study said.

I'll try to number crunch based off this not scientific article. 65/3801 patients = 1.7%. Now, I don't think all of those 65 patients used marijuana based on the majority rules. That's pretty avg for the general population. I'd love to do a relative risk assessment for this population, just need to know more specific information about the population such as who is not smoking and who did not have psychosis. The article makes no mention of this, which it should have.

But the relationship between psychosis and cannabis use was complex, it said.

It's true, let us not forget the high prevalence of comorbid anxiety in schizophrenic patients...

With prevalence of schizophrenia remaining steady, and marijuana use climbing, personally I find self medication the best explanation for increased use of marijuana in this "group".

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

I dont buy this new propaganda. Not one little bit.

 

[Cinderella99]

"...With prevalence of schizophrenia remaining steady, and marijuana use climbing, personally I find self medication the best explanation for increased use of marijuana in this "group"..."

Right on- False Causation. Until these studies can demonstrate which way and how the "link" works, they should be dismissed out of hand as both uninformative and encouraging speculative conclusions. Personally, I wouldn't accept anything short of identical twin studies.

 

[hkush]

What does throwing you in prison for smoking weed do for your mental health? I imagine a study in that would find prison is worse for your health than a smoking weed.

 

[medical420]

Sorry to see them dusting off this ancient one.
This got torn apart, because the "scientists" ignored the tendency of people with anxiety to self medicate with marijuana

So

 

[mikefort]

These studies are bogus, I read the study and it's a waste of time. I'm a scientist and I take offense to these claims that their terrible science has put together.

The scientists in this study claim that it is difficult to link the use with non-affective psychosis. Don't waste your time with this bull science. These scientists ethics went the way of the guys working in banks who caused the world economies to fail.

I think the real issue here is the wasting of tax payer dollars on these studies.

Don't waste your time!

 

[mikefort]

Oh one last point. For a scientist to actually make real science observations he/she must study this same group from birth, this same group must be put into a balloon and experience no environmental changes, toxic free, eat only organic diets and also any family mental issues must also be reviewed.

You cannot study a group of people in a short period of time with all other variables being taken into consideration.

 

[texsativa]

Oh one last point....and also any family mental issues must also be reviewed.

You cannot study a group of people in a short period of time with all other variables being taken into consideration.

Very good point. I guarantee every single one of the individuals in this "group" who experienced psychosis has a family history of mental illness.

 

[pease]

i don't like the term mental illness

everyone's crazy

we just taek those who aren't 'acceptable' to society and throw scary labels on them such as one who's experiencing 'psychosis' ...being a psycho....the guy with the knife in the shower .. . . . .. . ..

 

[fireburner23]

It must be true, who else would spend as much time growing as we do?