Bertha Madras is on X/Twitter, where she writes about Neuroscience, drug policy, and public education. https://twitter.com/madras_bertha.
There’s mounting evidence that cannabis can cause schizophrenia. A large-scale study last year that examined health histories of some 6.9 million Danes between 1972 and 2021 estimated that up to 30% of young men’s schizophrenia diagnoses could have been prevented had they not become dependent on pot. Marijuana is worse in this regard than many drugs usually perceived as more dangerous. “Users of other potent recreational drugs develop chronic psychosis at much lower rates,” Ms. Madras says. When healthy volunteers in research experiments are given THC—as has been done in 15 studies—they develop transient symptoms of psychosis. “And if you treat them with an antipsychotic drug such as haloperidol, those symptoms will go away.”
Marijuana has also been associated with violent behavior, including in a study published this week in the International Journal of Drug Policy. Data from observational studies are inadequate to demonstrate causal relationships, but Ms. Madras says that the link between marijuana and schizophrenia fits all six criteria that scientists use to determine causality, including the strength of the association and its consistency.”
Marijuana destroyed my oldest son. He was bright and funny and a wonderful kid. He started smoking marijuana at age 14 and quickly became addicted. When he was around 18 his addiction became schizophrenia. He became disconnected from reality. He became threatening. Four weeks ago he died in a fire at his home at the age of 34. You will never convince me that marijuana didn’t cause his schizophrenia. You will never convince me that marijuana is not a gateway drug for at least some people. I am 100% against legalization of marijuana for any reason.
None of the studies here show the positive effects of marijuana. That’s not science, it’s biased. You should show the pros and cons to make a sensible conclusion. Besides, smoking marijuana is bad for your lungs. Gummies are the way to go for those suffering from PTSD.
There is an agenda behind those pushing legalization of drugs.
Just look at the Jihad against the well studied drug Ivermectin and contrast that to the campaign for these poorly studied drugs.
Today’s marijuana is far more potent than what was available in the ‘60s.
Where we live marijuana has been easily available and used by many for at least 50 years. There should be vast amounts of data available to evaluate the health consequences of the drug. But most of the info we have is still anecdotal in nature. Why?
My wife is a retired nurse, and I am a retired fire officer. We both know and have known many long-term users in addition to our experiences responding and treating those with health issues related to marijuana.
For whatever reason... marijuana has been portrayed by the media, and entertainment industries as a nearly harmless substance with many health benefits. The negative consequences are almost never addressed.
What are these negative consequences? They vary from minor to severe mental health problems to minor and severe physical health problems. We also are subjected to risks especially on the road from people who are driving while under the influence of a psychoactive drug.
And one of the problems these days that is sometimes left out of the conversation is that the potency of the marijuana products being sold both legally and illegally is now so much greater than it once was. When I was working as a Hazmat Officer we had a saying, "The solution to pollution is dilution. Many products are not much of a problem until they reach greater concentrations. We are now getting into uncharted territory with marijuana. People are experiencing psychotic episodes from high dosages that were typically not as common in the past.
When I first started working in public safety alcohol was the drug of choice among derelicts that we were responding to on the street. During my career this changed to marijuana. From the media coverage one would think that this might be a good thing. In reality the psych issues we dealt with became much worse over time. But the vast number of experiences that both my wife and I had dealing with these are all anecdotal... very few studies have been done to quantify the problem.
In our view however the massive increase in panhandling, homelessness in our area is largely related to marijuana abuse. And many of the health and mental issues that our friends, family and acquaintances are experiencing in their advancing years is also related to their marijuana consumption.
As an example, one of my best lifelong friends began using marijuana in his 60s when it became legal where he now lives. He never used it in his younger years. His behavior began changing noticeably, and he started having difficulties that he does not attribute to marijuana. He has become extremely forgetful, and his cognitive abilities have declined greatly. I only hear from him every month or two so the declines may be more noticeable to me than those who interact with him more frequently. In truth I have started dreading conversations with him.
He has also started complaining about various health problems that one typically associates with aging. Strangely most of these problems did not seem to be problems for him until after the marijuana use started... now there is always some new malady from illnesses, to falls, to motor vehicle accidents, to unexplained headaches, aches and pains, neurological problems and who knows what else. It is not so much the complaints as the pattern of complaints that in the previous more than 50 years that I have known him have changed radically.
Could I prove that this change in behavior is the result of marijuana use? Probably not, but the timing is suspicious and the similarity to the problems that other marijuana users we interact with daily is noticeable.
Interesting. Thanks for posting.
- research has only just begun due to the fact of previous difficulties in studying schedule 1 drugs.
- ALL recent research shows no redeeming qualities other than getting high if that is “redeeming” and ONLY negative impacts with warnings that it could be much worse.
- legalization in the face of blatant disregard of harm is driven only by profit expectations. It is far worse than tobacco, which a war has been waged against. Pushed specifically to also injure and dumb down an already docile, imbecilic population.
The dopeheads here, of which there appear to be quite a few, will of course hold their ears and shout like the infant morons they are, “not true, not true, not true”.
As the kids ingest spiked gummies, let the fun begin.
I know people claim marijuana mellows you out but I’ve seen instances where people became very aggressive. Altough, no way of knowing what is in someone’s system.
I wonder how much of the expotential rise of homelessness over the past decade is due to the increased legalization of marijuana.
Anything that makes you feel good while it distorts your perception of reality is destroying your mind.
Is Granny's jug permitted? For medical purposes I mean?
It is a bad idea to legitimize and legalize pot. Every community that has done so has suffered, every family has suffered. For the few who make up claims of positive benefits, that is 1 for every 1000 hurt. Go see a doctor and get help. The sooner pot in all forms is again banned, the better we will be.
https://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/article/in-the-weeds/
Interesting article I recommend it.
also interesting articles on psychedelic’s and mental health
Lets go back to throwing people in government cages for using pot!
The dangers of tobacco smoking have been known for decades and health officials tell us that even secondhand smoke is dangerous. Vaping is portrayed as a major health hazard and flavored vapes are said to lure kids into vaping and smoking. However, these same health experts are strangely silent about the hazards of pot smoking and turn a blind eye to THC lace gummies and seltzers which clearly are enticing to kids. Two drinks can set many people over the legal limit to drive, but laws to prevent driving while high are not on the books in most states. I find it hypocritical that states that spend millions to stop people from smoking are now legalizing marijuana despite it’s known health hazards
The word pothead comes to mind.
Dragnet - pot will kill you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy_lCjA6poo