Cannabis Linked to Depression, Schizophrenia

Yahoo News ^ | 11/21/02 | Patricia Reaney

[Libloather]

Cannabis Linked to Depression, Schizophrenia
47 minutes ago
By Patricia Reaney

LONDON (Reuters) - Smoking cannabis increases the odds of suffering from depression and schizophrenia, doctors said on Friday.

The occasional joint may not be harmful, but people who start using cannabis in their teens have a higher risk of later being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder and the severity of the illness is linked to the length of exposure to the drug.

"Very young adolescents who use cannabis have an increased risk for developing schizoprehenia as adults and the most at risk are the youngest users," Dr Louise Arseneault, of Kings College in London, told Reuters.

Doctors do not understand how cannabis increases the risk of schizophrenia and depression but they suspect it affects the dopamine system in the brain which is associated with pleasure.

It is thought the drug can trigger the onset or relapse of schizophrenia in people predisposed to the illness and may also exacerbate the symptoms.

In a study of 1,037 people born in New Zealand between 1972-73, Arseneault found that those who began using cannabis as teens were four times more likely to suffer from psychiatric problems as adults than adolescents who did not use the drug.

"The earlier you start, the more vulnerable you are," she said.

Her findings, which are reported in The British Medical Journal, are supported by two other studies in the magazine which found similar results.

Researchers at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Victoria, Australia found that teenage girls who frequently used the drug were more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety than other adolescents.

Another study of more than 50,000 Swedish enlisted men showed the use of cannabis increased the risk of schizophrenia by 30 percent.

"These results indicate a potentially serious risk to the mental health of people who use cannabis, particularly in the presence of other risk factors for schizophrenia," Stanley Zammit of the University of Wales College of Medicine in Cardiff who worked on the Swedish study, said in the report.

Schizophrenia is the most common form of severe mental illness. The cause of the disorder, which is characterized by unusual behavior, delusions and hallucinations is unknown but scientists say it affects chemicals in the brain.

It usually begins in the late teens and early 20s.

"The link between cannabis and psychosis is well established, and recent studies have found a link between marijuana and depression," Joseph Rey and Christopher Tennant, of the University of Sydney in Australia, said in a commentary in the journal.

[Paulus Invictus]

How do the brain damaged idiots that want to legalize pot respond to studies like this? Answer: they dont believe such studies and continue to smoke pot and agitate for legalization. They went berserk with rage in Nevada when the voters said no to legalized pot. They are already schizophrenic, one supposes.

[Moby Grape]

Maybe smoking dope CAUSES Libertarians.

[BILL FROM TROUT CREEK PASS]

ROLL ANOTHER ONE!

[Alan Chapman]

Maybe this explains why the Liberteens never get any more than 3% of the vote...

Libertarians frequently receive more than 3% of the vote. If you actually did any research on your own instead of regurgitating brain farts from other posters you'd know that.

By the way, Republicans helped defeat the ballot initiative in Massachusetts to repeal the state income tax. Both Republican governor Jane Swift and Republican governor-elect Mitt Romney publicly denounced the measure. Congradulations.

[uncbob]

How do the brain damaged idiots that want to legalize pot respond to studies like this?

Oh I guess about the same way drinkers respond to studies that alcohol use can cause child/spouse abuse etc etc etc

[Sender]

I used to feel kind of schizo after I smoked, but I didn't feel that way myself. You got any more ketchup?

[savedbygrace]

Maybe this explains why the Liberteens never get any more than 3% of the vote...

Now we know it's really only 1-1/2%. ;-)

[Alan Chapman]

Maybe smoking dope CAUSES Libertarians.

This causes Libertarians.

So does this.

Then there's this, this, this, and this.

[i_dont_chat]

Also paranoia.

But please don't tell anyone that I said so!

[rockfish59]

Rage in Nevada!

Save us, Art Bell!

[u-89]

Which came first

Yeh, which came first? There is the old expression of "drowning your sorrows". When I grew up it was the kids who came from broken homes or loose parental control, these were kids who "hung out" at young ages who were the first to get into the drug culture. Could it be these kids were not happy before they starting partying? And speaking of pot all these kids started drinking before they got into weed. Is booze a gate way to harder stuff that should be prohibited?

All these studies should be treated with skepticism. Chocolate causes heart disease or cancer one day and it's good for you the next. Coffee? Second hand smoke? global warming? What's your agenda? I've got a study to back you up.

[GovernmentShrinker]

I'm not in favor of legalizing drugs, but a very rational argument can be made for treating marijuana and alcohol on the same basis. And marijuana users overwhelmingly damage themselves; while alcohol users kill, maim, and destroy the family lives of many people besides themselves. While I personally don't use alcohol (or marijuana!) at all, and don't advocate anyone doing so, I think this country's experience with Prohibition indicates that laws against marijuana are having little effect on usage and promoting a good deal of organized criminal activity as well.

Without an overwhelming consensus that BOTH these drugs ought be illegal, it just can't be enforced effectively. What I'd like to see is the cessation of ALL taxpayer-funded "treatment" programs for users, and of all tax-payer funded medical care for users, and for auto and health insurance companies to be able to put enforceable clauses in policies stating that no claims will be payable if the individual (or other authorized driver, in the case of auto insurance) is found to have been under the influence of ANY amount of either of these substances. If the true cost of alcohol and marijuana use landed on the users and their immediate families, that consensus might start to come about.

[Sungirl]

You don't need to be a pothead to get depressed. I was depressed from 1992-2000.

[MonroeDNA]

Reefer Madness! Protect your families from this!

[orfisher]

Depression....When you run out of Twinkies

Schizophrenia....Sometimes you want Doritos sometimes its Cheetos

[asneditor]

Oh borther the WOD folks will say anything (even if it is a lie) to make their point.

[valkyrieanne]

This sounds like "how to lie with statistics." From what I read, schizophrenia is almost entirely genetic. What makes more sense is that schizophrenics (who develop symptoms while in their teens or early adulthood) probably try to medicate themselves with different kinds of drugs. IOW, the schizophrenia probably leads to the drug abuse, rather than the other way around. Similarly, many people with mental illness smoke - it turns out that the smoking is another form of self-medication.

[MonroeDNA]

I'm a Libertarian, who does not smoke pot, or anything else. Freeper #39. Believe it, or check it out.

I was one of the 535 Volusia County voters who gave the election to Bush. During Gore's silly effort, I stood on the corner of 95 and International Speedway Blvd. (I-4 corridor) holding a Bush sign taped to a broomhandle.

I am a monthly doner to FR, "dollar a day" guy. Any of you Libertarian bashers contribute monthly? Speak up.

I am about fed up with you people here who disparage Libertarians.

Democrats want the strongest interpretation of the first ammendment, and the weakest interpretation of the second.

Republicans want the weakest interpretation of the first ammendment, and the strongest interpretation of the second.

Libertarians want the strongest interpretation of ALL of the first ten ammendments.

I gave up on the Republican party when Lot caved on the CW treaty. And will never go back until Lott is gone.

[crazykatz]

I have a cousin who is ill with depression and is unable to work. This man is a PRIME example of drug induced illness.

[Moby Grape]

No, it is dope.....how else, Alan, can you explain a political party that can't get more than 1% of the national vote, has canidates that dye themselves blue, canidates that have campaign photos holding their pet ferretts, and canidates that get arrested for running illegal "law" schools?.....You just can't explain this kind of weirdness and political stupidity without dope. (I am joking, but, the LP does have a high number of real kooks in its' ranks)