Cannabis linked to earlier psychosis onset

[Big Don]

Cannabis linked to earlier psychosis onset

Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:04pm EDT
Reuters
Excerpt:

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Researchers from Spain have found a strong and independent link between cannabis use and the onset of psychosis at a younger age. The association, they say, cannot be explained by chance, and is not related to gender or the use of other drugs. It is, however, related to the amount of cannabis used.
"The clinical importance of this finding is potentially high," Dr. Ana Gonzalez-Pinto from Santiago Apostol Hospital in Vitoria, and colleagues write in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, given that cannabis use is extremely prevalent among young people."
The researchers also report that "estimates of the attributable risk suggest that the use of cannabis accounts for about 10 percent of cases of psychosis."
The findings are based on 131 patients ages 15 to 65 years who needed inpatient care for a first psychotic episode during a 2-year period.
**END EXCERPT**
It isn't harmless as the legalization/decriminalization folks would have us believe.

 

[tshadowchaser]

The clinical importance of this finding is potentially high,"

now that is a interesting way of stating it

 

[theletch1]

now that is a interesting way of stating it

:lfao:

I remember hearing something along these lines on the radio some time ago. It had to do with the increased potency of the drug as compared to that available back in the 60s and 70s.

 

[elder999]

Cannabis linked to earlier psychosis onset
It isn't harmless as the legalization/decriminalization folks would have us believe.

Actually, there have been several studies of the apparent link between cannabis and psychosis over the last decade-in Holland, New Zealand, the U.K. and the United States. Almost all of them have found a link between excessive marijuana use during adolescence and genetic predisposition to psychosis leading to the early onset of pysychotic symptoms. Apparently, a small percentage of the population is genetically weak in this regard, and marijuana use in a developing brain like that of an adolescent can bring this weakness to the fore by young adulthood, when the onset of psychotic symptoms manifest.

For example, here:

Some cannabis-using teenagers are highly likely to develop mental health problems as adults because of their genetic make-up, but most face little risk, a new study says.

The problems occur for genetically vulnerable adults who used cannabis while their brains were still developing, and that has prompted researchers to recommend people "delay onset of use until at least young adulthood".

The finding comes from Otago University's world-renowned study which has followed 1000 Dunedin-born people for over 30 years.

It says a link between cannabis and mental illness depends on a specific genetic disposition. But even then, only 15 per cent of the people with the gene will develop cannabis-related psychotic behaviour, and only if they use it as adolescents.

And here:

Frequent cannabis use during adolescence and young adulthood raises the risk of psychotic symptoms later in life, research suggests.

The risk was much higher in young people who were already genetically vulnerable to developing psychosis.
It is thought cannabis disrupts the balance of the key mood chemical dopamine in the brain.
The research, by Maastricht University, is published by the British Medical Journal.It focused on 2,437 young people aged 14 to 24 who were monitored for four years

And, interestingly, the article you posted also linked cannabis use to psychosis at a younger age in those who had already proven to be psychotic.

So, it's not quite as harmful as your initial post would make out, either....obviously, kids shouldn't use it-though that's when most people do start to use it......I get this stuff from mom the shrink all the time-as if I can smoke anything anyway.....

 

[harlan]

Excuse me, but I don't see any causal link being proved. Only observations that there appears to be a relation between age of usage and age of onset. Could very well be that early symptoms are simply being self-medicated earlier.

 

[JBrainard]

It's reefer madness, man!
Sorry, couldn't resist. Go back to your serious discussion...

 

[MA-Caver]

It isn't harmless as the legalization/decriminalization folks would have us believe.

Hell, I could've told you that.
I used to be of the same mindset that it wasn't that bad of a drug and that it should be legalized and bla bla bla.
But being OFF of the drug for umpteen years has made me realize the long term effects and I'm grateful that I stopped when I did.
This finding doesn't surprise me at all.
True it doesn't affect every user this way but considering the potential to some kid trying it out for the first (few times)... who'd want that kind of risk?

 

[jarrod]

ma-caver, did you stop using because it was illegal, or for other reasons?

i don't think that drugs are great & that everyone (especially kids) should do them, i just think it is a huge inconsistency that alcoholism is a disease & drug use is a crime. people should be either fully accountable for their own behavior regardless of chemical influence or not.

imprisoning drug users who are not guilty of any other crimes is costly, unfair, & on the whole bad for society. it fills up prison space & does nothing to rehabilitate the drug user. if you take a non-violent drug user & lock him up for several years with actual criminals, do you think he will be an upstanding member of society when he gets out?

jf

 

[Big Don]

i just think it is a huge inconsistency that alcoholism is a disease & drug use is a crime.

Shouldn't addiction to tobacco products also be a disease then?

 

[theletch1]

Shouldn't addiction to tobacco products also be a disease then?

Certainly. Addiction to nicotine is no different than addiction to any other chemical. It won't be made illegal because there's just too much money in it. Both as a drug and for the other diseases that go along with it. Some folks are genetically predisposed to addiction of one sort or another and it's that which I believe makes addiction (to any chemical) a disease.

 

[Empty Hands]

Clearly, in order to prevent people from having psychotic breaks, we must imprison them. Good thinking.

 

[zDom]

Clearly, in order to prevent people from having psychotic breaks, we must imprison them. Good thinking.

:lol: .... :sigh:

 

[zDom]

Certainly. Addiction to nicotine is no different than addiction to any other chemical. It won't be made illegal because there's just too much money in it. Both as a drug and for the other diseases that go along with it. Some folks are genetically predisposed to addiction of one sort or another and it's that which I believe makes addiction (to any chemical) a disease.

Yep: alcohol and tobacco will remain legal because of the money.

And marijuana and other drugs will remain illegal because of the money: too much of local law enforcement funding comes from the gov't tit in the form of Drug War funding.

Not only that, but pharmaceutical companies and booze companies don't like competing with plants you can grow in your backyard.

 

[jkembry]

Hell, I could've told you that.
I used to be of the same mindset that it wasn't that bad of a drug and that it should be legalized and bla bla bla.
But being OFF of the drug for umpteen years has made me realize the long term effects and I'm grateful that I stopped when I did.
This finding doesn't surprise me at all.
True it doesn't affect every user this way but considering the potential to some kid trying it out for the first (few times)... who'd want that kind of risk?

MA-Caver...

I only experimented with the stuff and found that it did nothing for me that a beer wouldn't do...so I just drank till I was forced to quit by the Navy.

Personally I see alcohol a much bigger problem than a little weed...but that is based on my personal experience. I guess everyone is different.

 

[Xue Sheng]

HEY!!! What are you telling me for????

Never mind I must go a cheeseburger just floated by and told me to follow it :uhyeah:

 

[celtic_crippler]

...I heard the same thing about video games.

 

[teekin]

Clearly, in order to prevent people from having psychotic breaks, we must imprison them. Good thinking.

Perfect. And following that line of logic, we should test all children at birth to determine which of them has the potential to develope an "addictive" personality. Since they more likely to try MJ, have a psychotic episode at some point lets just either put them in "care" now shall we?
Lori:uhoh:

 

[qwksilver61]

You know....I never liked hypocrites....alcohol kills more people every year,no I do not believe that Pot leads to more serious drugs,and if you wreck your car after getting high then you're a blithering idiot,legalize it,tax it,and pay off the stupid *** financial institutions debts( educated people that supposedly know their *** from a hole in the ground when it comes to managing finances) not to mention durable fiber...blah...blah..blah....two cents..

 

[teekin]

You know....I never liked hypocrites....alcohol kills more people every year,no I do not believe that Pot leads to more serious drugs,and if you wreck your car after getting high then you're a blithering idiot,legalize it,tax it,and pay off the stupid *** financial institutions debts( educated people that supposedly know their *** from a hole in the ground when it comes to managing finances) not to mention durable fiber...blah...blah..blah....two cents..

Ok, the rest of the post I get but the highlighted part, huhh??? ( swoosh, over my head, you lost me QSilver)
Lori

 

[qwksilver61]

ok, so I did not intentionally high...light,shoot me.Forgive me If I Offended anyone........a million pardons...forever...