Experts Agree That Marijuana Contributes to Mental Illness
The 2002 edition of the respected British Medical Journal, reading “Marijuana and psychiatric illness: the link grows stronger” was a turning point in the medical literature regarding the connection between marijuana use and mental illness. In that issue, Zammit and colleagues looked at 50,087 Swedish conscripts, to conclude that marijuana use in adolescence is a risk factor for schizophrenia, independent of the effects of other drugs or social personality traits (Zammit et al 2002).
An established link between marijuana and psychosis and schizophrenia has emerged in other respected research journals (Ashton 2001; Hall and Solowij 1998; Jha 2002; Johns 2001; Patton 2002). In a New Zealand study, Arseneault and colleagues discovered that using marijuana as an adolescent increases your risk for schizophrenia even after adjustment for pre-existing childhood psychoses (Arseneault et al 2002). Meta-analyses have found that eliminating marijuana use could reduce incidence of schizophrenia by 8% among a nation’s population (Arseneault et al 2004). In the U.S. that means that stopping marijuana use could reduce schizophrenia by more than 19,000 people.
Additionally, heavy marijuana use also can lead to psychosis. Murray concluded that those who smoked marijuana at age 18 and 15 were 60% and 450% more likely to achieve psychosis, respectively (Jha 2004). Psychosis has even been linked with oral – not smoked – marijuana administration, leading Favrat and colleagues to conclude that “while the oral route of administration achieves only limited blood concentrations, significant psychotic reactions may occur” (Favrat et al 2005). Marijuana use is also linked with depression (Patton et al 2002). These dire statistics about the link between mental illness and marijuana use have officials worldwide worried. Based on these recent assessments, Australian public health officials, once neutral on marijuana’s role in mental illness, called their high levels of use a “ticking time bomb.”
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The claims of Marijuana causing schizophrenia are seated in the Australian study. I researched this 'study' and found out that the Church of Australia gave the University of Australia- millions of dollars; and that money went to the production of a 'study' to prove pot use: caused schizophrenia.
There is a paper trail there; and I have talked to people in Australia that affirmed that.
Then they took kids already having problems with schizophrenia that went off their drugs ; and then took up drug and alcohol abuse ; and that included abusing pot- because when you need a solution to that mental problem - the excess comsumption of anything: is a symptom of that disease.
Not surprisingly - the kids with the incurable disease of schizophrenia did not find relief in pot; and the disease they have got worse; as it does if they eat; drink; or smoke anything. Because there is no cure - the use of anything to deal with it: is a waste of time.
So the study took sick people that smoked pot; and they still were sick.
It proved nothing; and it was not science .
Its only good for people to lean on when they have a weak argument.
If pot use caused schizophrenia - with the level of use we have in the world; and this country: it would have taught us that lesson; and we would all know it; and we would not need a bad 'study' to get that idea from.
When I was a cop; whenever we had someone that 'totally lost it' and had to arrest them- there was one jail sergeant that would say ' THE EVILS OF MARIJUANA- THE EVILS OF MARIJUANA'.
Those that he was talking about most often were drunk; some were 'just plain nuts' and some were at their wits end and just striking out - but were they pot smokers out of control? NO.
Only to the man that was convinced that anyone that smoked pot: had to become out of control and violent.
But he was believed and he is still spreading his- 'wisdom' on what pot does- from his vast experience.
Like I say: if smoking pot made people schizophrenic - you would know that. Wouldn't you?
Pot is only illegal because of the need to control and suppress freedom . Doctors say it has a medical use. People smoke it and don't go nuts. There are the effects of alcohol and cigarettes that we could all compare marijuana use too- from our own observations and experiences.
The lies of the 'anti-drug' people are blatant and lacking content- and based on wanting to be morally or ethically superior to others. They seek power. They want control on human nature; and they cannot except anything outside of their tiny little view of life; and do not learn from experience.
According to the American Medical Association tens of thousands of people die from doctors making a mistake. 5000 people a year die from drug overdoses and not one has ever died from using marijuana .
The facts are on the side of pot: Dr Sabet.
Like the NORML writer, I will concede to Dr. Sabet's point that studies show adolescent marijuana use can contribute to mental illness, although Dr. Sabet's own statistics do not make it seem like it's a huge problem or in any way close to a leading cause of mental illness. But no one is calling for marijuana to be made legal for adolescents. We could easily set the age at 21 for anyone to obtain it legally. You would have to prove to me that legalizing it would lead to more use among teens . I doubt that it would. For one thing, teens are rebellious by nature, and the fact that it's illegal is part of the motivation for them to use it. If marijuana became legal, and if advertising for marijuana was curtailed the way that advertising by tobacco companies is curtailed, this would likely go a long way toward reducing marijuana's "cool" appeal. As a result, we might expect that marijuana use by teens might decrease. In any case, you have to weigh the potential risk of teens obtaining marijuana more easily, were it to be legalized, against the benefits of taking away from the crime syndicates a readily sellable commodity that they use to extend their control into US cities . Taking a blow at the crime syndicates, including the Mexican Mafia, would have such a huge benefit to US society that it's worth accepting some of the downside risks, such as increased marijuana use by teens.
Actually there is no consensus about marijuana 's contribution to mental illness, nor is there enough research done on this topic to even try to speculate either way. Very little research has been done and most is banned by many governments so I would like to know what experts and what consensus you are referring to. Besides, consensus means nothing. The argument and its case is what matters and you are grossly distorting the facts that even an amateur logician can see the holes and vacuous rhetoric of your terrible argument. You still have to actually justify why the nanny state should take care of us based on an incomplete understanding of the facts that have yet to be gathered and why anybody else's concern for someone else's health justifies an unconstitutional ban of private behavior. Prohibition of alcohol happened when people still followed the constitution and the amendment process was used to do so. Why does this principle magically not apply to a plant that is smoked. Not only that, why should the state's risk assessment be any better than the individual's if bureaucrats are subject to the sme fallacies of any other human being? It appears that you use too much hairspray and it is a threat to your respiratory and scalp health and that you shouldn't be allowed to buy hairspray. Absurd, right?
that's how it works. if you read the psychology books they print.. it's a quackery.
They pretty much state that anything besides being selfish and dishonest is considered a mental disease. That's how they control the people. These people with their academia can not think.
We have powerful liars in the highest seats of academia.
it's not a question of if these people recognize the quakery or not. They simply do not care. truth is not an object. only power is an object.
They should no longer exist. we can destroy the whole of europe with a bio plague. we can invade the west coast united states.capture north east.
it most likely will be the scenario.
i designed underground sub bases in china . they can capture the whole us coast in 24 hours.
I use marijuana all the time to treat some of my symptoms of bipolar and it has NEVER caused me to experience psychosis. We don't even know if the people involved in the clinical trials were diagnosed with some form of psychosis BEFORE they participated in the study. People only get paranoid because marijuana is ILLEGAL and we are scared to get arrested or have people snitch on us.
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Saying that 'experts' have found all this data proving the harmful effects of marijuana is ,to me atleast, the same as in WW2 when the nazi's propaganda showed 'scientific evidence' that the jewish and african people where inferior to whites. The way i see it, all these studies are done by people who are biased againt it, conduct biased studies, and thus they get biased results.
The only mental illness I have encountered is the Drug Enforcement Administration and cops on these nazi task forces! People like that leon lott dude that was attacking michael phelps,now that is mental illness at its worst. Pot is non habit forming and no one has ever died from it. so much for the flawed medical theories about cancer causing and other propaganda! Disband the DEA and send em packing!!! Idiots
I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and the only thing that works when my prescribed medications fail is MARIJUANA. Why isn't marijuana being research to see how it can help treat "certain" mental disorders?
I use marijuana all the time to treat some of my symptoms of bipolar and it has NEVER caused me to experience psychosis. We don't even know if the people involved in the clinical trials were diagnosed with some form of psychosis BEFORE they participated in the study. People only get paranoid because marijuana is ILLEGAL and we are scared to get arrested or have people snitch on us.
All people have to make it safer is to use a "vaporizer" DUH!!! It takes out the bad chemicals and leaves the THC. People do research and clinical trials to see how marijuana may treat PHYSICAL disorders in the U.S. so why not "MENTAL" disorders?
Why should I have to suffer from extreme mania and depression just because my present "sub par" medications DON'T WORK and people refuse to do the research? I thought medical doctors psychologist were smarter than that. I deserve the BEST treatment possible but obviously medical doctors, psychologist and especially our government don't give a damn about people like me!!
Every study I have seen that shows that Marijuana has some type of bad effect on the body or the mind also has, upon study of the research itself, a sever bias built into the way the data is collected, correlated and interpreted.
In fact many of the studys that claim that MJ has harmful effects are based upon previous flawed studys and not upon any new clinical research or even observation.
Personally I feel this is due to the fact that these researchers and authors don't want to bite the hand that is feeding them, IE...paying them to say what they want them to say!
The only mental problem I have with all the facts given, it drives me crazy that we do not have legal MJ. I am sure if they study people that drink ever day they would find many more health problems so why is it legal and they put us in jail thats JAIL for using weed our choice. All you have to do is see who is paying all the bills to keep it illegal.
I am 60 started during Vietnam and I say it is the only thing that has protected my mental health!!! Dealing with the day to day knowledge of what our so called leaders are doing. Go to http://www.november.org / and read the stories of every day normal Americans that have had there lives ruined by our leaders. Look deeper and see why they destroy so many ( hint follow the money)