Cannabis 'causes mental illness'

UK Telegraph ^ | April 8, 2003 | Sarah Womack

[adam_az]

BREAKING NEWS: CART PULLS HORSE

[GWB00]

I can't believe there are only 3.2 Pot smokers in the U.S. Hell, I am from California and the world world puffs on the weed out there. That's why they all vote Democrat.

[RightWhale]

It does not say that the pot causes the mental illness.

From what I have seen, which is not much really, your interpretation is correct. The article has the cart before the horse.

[oyez]

Why do ya' think they call it dope?

[Desecrated]

Geez the same people who bash the UN (rightly so) and demand our removal gobble up a propaganda laden piece of psuedo-science like it was gospel itself. Interesting and disappointing at the same time.

[IowaHawk]

This story is ludicrous. Just ask my invisible friend, Dr. KhHfompripyy-6.

[Yeti]

AND it causes white women to seek sexual relations with black jazz musicians

Actually, no. I think I addressed that issue quite well elsewhere.

[FairOpinion]

The point is that people should be aware of the risks, and consequences, don't you agree?

Schizophrenia is not a joke. Studies have shown that marijuana smoking does indeed impairs the brain, and judgement ability and now they seem to be discovering that it can destroy the brain to the extent of causing schizophrenia.

Just picture someone's nice, bright young promising son or daugther going to college, smoking marijuana and ending up with schizophrenia. I unfortunately actually know someone, whose son ended up that way and the correlation was obvious.

[shotgun]

Where is Ashley Roachclip, President of United Heads for Hemp, when you need a good rebuttal.

[shotgun]

I must have forgot I already posted it...

[shotgun]

Sgt. Stedanko alert

[Yeti]

Will we never learn?

Oh, God! Here come the libertokian potties to try to claim they have some kind of "right" do do what they want, so long as they mind their own business and don't hurt anyone.

Get outta tha house, ya dope fiend!

[dark_lord]

Except that they don't really know for sure what causes schizophrenia, except that (a) there is a genetic component, (b) there is a statistical correlation with getting some childhood diseases, and (c) another statistical correlation with extra stress during puberty.

Since the structural brain changes that lead to schizophrenia are laid down during the early teen years, whether or not pot is a causative factor is unknown. It is also the case the people predisposed to schizophrenia do way more drugs than pot - "angel dust", PCP, animal tranquilizers -- in fact, pretty much anything they can get their hands on.

Which is in and of itself a possible indicator that they are indeed trying to "self medicate."

[Yeti]

indeed impairs the brain, and judgement ability and now they seem to be discovering that it can destroy the brain

To the point that these reefer-heads can't even compose a sentence properly!

[Rodney King]

Sorry, Rodney, but this is not misinformation. This has been known for a very long time, but the pot-smoking press did not want to let you know. If you are a pot smoker, the good news is your brain is damaged in such a way that you will think you are just fine. :-)

I am not saying that pot doesn't cause schizophrenia. I am also not saying that schizophrenics are more likely to smoke pot. Either or a mixture of both might be true. I am just saying that correlation does not prove causation, as this article seems to claim.

[WaveThatFlag]

Oh, God! Here come the libertokian potties to try to claim they have some kind of "right" do do what they want, so long as they mind their own business and don't hurt anyone.

Attention Libertarians: You are not Conservative. We don't want your moral relativism in our party. Get your own webpage.

[tacticalogic]

I've seen articles on the study, and there was indeed a corelation between schizophrenia and cannabis usage, but the effect was only observed in people that were already borderline, or at risk for schizophrenia. They didn't find any evidence that it would induce schizophrenia in someone who wasn't already prone to it. As you said, it comes down to knowing the risk.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Hmmm. I'll have to keep track of this issue. I'm for legalizing pot, but if this really turns out to be true, w/pot being a causative agent in mental illness, I may have to support it for medicinal purposes only. After all, to truly be free, you need a clear head...

However, I STILL won't support the War on Some Drugs, with its lousy asset forfeiture and spying...

[headsonpikes]

"Sgt.Stedanko alert"

Back in the 60s, I met the original, and very real Abe Snidanko of the RCMP Drug Squad. Snidanko was notorious for busting hippies, and became notorious through Vancouver's hippy rag, The Georgia Straight. Vancouver, B.C. was the Canadian equivalent of San Francisco at the time; still is, actually. lol!

After inspiring Saddinko, the comic strip narc, Snidanko ended up being a kingpin in the Jamaican police force.

All to the best of my recollection. ;^)

[Vicki]

It is quite beleiveable, in fact, that people with mental illness are more likely to smoke pot.

This is true. I knew someone who used to smoke pot until he was diagnosed as bi-polar and given the proper medications. The psychiatrist said he had been self-medicating. Very common.