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Schizophrenia: A disorder in disguise

TRALEE PEARCE

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 1:51 PM EDT 25/03/08

Poor grades, irritability, suspicion. What distinguishes the beginnings of schizophrenia from normal adolescent turmoil? New research identifies key warning signs ...Read the full article

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  1. john chuckman from Canada writes: Almost nothing new here for those interested in the understanding of this terrible affliction.

    Progress in hard knowledge sadly comes very slowly.
  2. Tyler Williams from seattle, United States writes: Actually, John Chuckman, what is not heard about that often is - - the idea of an increased risk of psychotic debilitation resulting from the use of what some folks call 'totally harmless' marijuana...

    'Young patients are strongly advised to steer clear of marijuana, since recent studies have linked heavy pot use with an earlier and more intense onset of schizophrenia. Those studies may also be a clue that schizophrenia as we know it is on the rise, says neuroscientist James Kennedy, head of the Psychiatric Neurogenetics Section, at CAMH and a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto. 'Since marijuana is more widely available in North America over the past 40 years or so, this could be contributing to increased rates of schizophrenia.' '
  3. H M from Canada writes: I'm sure that smoking pot once in a while is no worse than breathing anything else burning, but if you are like my younger sister, who chain-smokes the stuff, you can't tell me it couldn't lead to health problems. Spending every waking hour in an altered mental state cannot be healthy.

    I sometimes wonder if all these jumps in discovering mental illnesses earlier will help us in the long run, or shoot us in the foot. On one hand, it's good if we can diagnose and treat problems earlier so they do not get as bad and people live better lives, on the other, at what point is somebody just like that? Everybody will be diagnosed with something, we'll never rid our genetics of the problems.
  4. Doug Dewan from Calgary, Canada writes: I think that the mental health issue starts before the pot smoking...the smoking is a symptom of the inability to deal with reality.
  5. Tyler Williams from seattle, United States writes: Odd.

    Doug Dewan, what is your point?

    Based on what is reported in this article, you have people becoming schizophrenic on pot who would not otherwise have become schizophrenic at all. That is, pot was the trigger to their schizophrenia.

    The expensive mental health issues and hurtful family issues come from having to treat the increased numbers of debilitated people, the increased numbers of schizophrenics whose function is society has deteriorated as a result of their disease.

    If, as reported, pot can be the trigger for some folks to come down with the disease of schizophrenia, wouldn't it be good if they avoided the trigger in the first place?

    Sure, there are plenty of people in society who have trouble dealing with reality during turbulent teen and early adult years - but many are nonetheless productive and self reliant workers.

    And hey, if fewer of them will spiral into debilitating schizophrenia by simply avoiding pot, wow, what a good thing for society and their families.





  6. Jacques Shellac from Montreal, Canada writes: You're right Tyler Williams, we should spend billions of dollars trying to prevent people from using marijuana, and then spend billions more putting them in prison if they are caught disobeying, rather than using the money and the knowledge gleaned from this type of study to help kids who are in fact susceptible to schizophrenia. A much better approach. The war on drugs has been incredibly successful, and will continue to be so as long as those profiting on it continue to do so.
  7. Tyler Williams from seattle, United States writes: Interesting.

    Is Jacques Shellac from Montreal hallucinating?

    He seems to psychotically have me confused with, I dunno, maybe George Bush?

    What exactly is Mr. Shellac having a deranged tantrum about?

    Man, I suggest that young people think about their health and consider avoiding the risk, and Mr. Shellac himself goes freaking psycho on me.

    Weird!
  8. Kim Philby from Ottawa, Canada writes: It sounds as if some of the signs of possible impending mental illness that are different from 'ordinary' teen troubles could also simply be signs of drug use - mental confusion, trouble distinguishing between what is real and what isn't (although, given the state of the world today, I imagine even the sanest drug-free person has trouble figuring out what's real and what isn't).
  9. john chuckman from Canada writes: The obserevation about marijuana is not new. I heard it from someone whose brother is a severe schizophrenic about ten years ago.

    But that is not the most important item here anyway.

    Schizophrenia has a long dark history without any reference to drugs.

    In the 1940s-50s when society put the mentally ill away in institutions without their permission, schizophrenics featured heavily. They were lobotomized by the hundreds in Ontario and other jurisdictions.

    The terrible disease is in some ways more destructive than brain cancer. It regularly destroys whole groups of families and friends.
  10. Ghetto Dude from Istanbul, Turkey writes: A detail: I do not think there is a war against drugs. Those who are supposed to be fighting against, are often within the industry.
  11. Tyler Williams from seattle, United States writes: Interesting.

    Okay, Darren from Toronto, if perceived 'subtext' and perceived 'tone' are all it takes to make it 'clear enough' to make a 'connection', then here's one for consideration:

    Darren and Jacque are both anti-American and attacked my comments solely because I am writing from Seattle, and if my exact same comments had instead been posted from a guy named 'NDP Voter from Burnaby BC' those two anti-American guys wouldn't have dumped on my post.

    Now, true, Darren, you didn't explicitly say 'I am rabidly anti-American' in your post, but - as per your suggestion - perceived 'subtext' and perceived 'tone' are all it takes here today to make it 'clear enough' to make a 'connection'...
  12. crime of the century from This is not America, Canada writes: No doubt marijuana is a very dangerous drug and there should be a zero tolerance for marijuana production and use. Very severe punishments should be given out to people who are caught with this very powerful and schizophrenic inducing drug.
    New strict laws need to be passed to eradicate this product completely from our society. Zero tolerance is the only way to go. A good place to start is by sending police into concert venues and arrest all perps. Give the police powers they need to enter homes and search and destroy and arrest.
  13. Jack K from Canada writes: I remember reading the article that found a corelation to maijuana use and psychotic episodes. It seemed to me that the cause and effect they argued was an assumption. I agree with an earlier writer that people who are struggling with mental illness would seek out something like pot to help self medicate. I know many people with this horrible disease, and a great many of them seek out ways to self medicate.
  14. J S from Toronto, Canada writes: Tyler Williams from seattle, United States - I don't think you get the point - some people have a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia while others don't. Pot may or may not be a trigger, and not all pot smokers have schizophrenia. There are many schizophrenics that have never smoked pot. I'm not condoning the use/legalization of pot in anyway, just stating the fact that some people have a genetic disposition to schizophrenia, regardless of drug use.

    We need more studies and treatment programs for mental illness.
  15. web warlock from Canada writes: My understanding is that marijuana is the safest drug on the planet. No one has ever died of a marijuana overdose, and it's much safer than alcohol or cigarettes.

    It's only not safe for those ALREADY DISPOSED to getting schizophrenia. No one gets schizophrenia from pot, although it may be a trigger, and if you have schizophrenia, the THC that gets you high in pot can make it worse. Sensationalist articles implying that pot can cause schizophrenia are misleading; we need public policy based on sound science and not emotional rhetoric. A sane public policy would be one in which marijuana was legalized, regulated, and taxed. Not only would we create less criminals, we would spend less of our justice system and enforcement resources on harmless tokers and be able to use these resources to combat actual crime, we would have additional tax income. That's a win, win situation, people. Prohibition has never accomplished anything worthwhile; it certainly doesn't discourage pot smoking.

    Interestingly, observations like the ones in the article are leading to new treatments of schizophrenia, using another active ingredients in pot, Cannabidiol.

    http://www.schizophrenia.com/sznews/archives/005024.html

    Got that? It appears that pot contains ingredients that get you high or induce psychosis(THC) and ingredients that calm you down or reduce psychosis(CBD). Recent breeders have raised THC in some strains to get you higher. All they have to do to make it safe again is return to the lower THC strains.
  16. Mike Potter from Hamilton, Canada writes: T.W. you left out the most important part of the article . The author said that it wasn't possible to draw any conclusion from the study Your just trolling for a fight.
    What about the more important issue addressed by the article. Can we essentially pre-screen for certain mental health conditions and can it help those who suffer from the disease. If all of this turns out to be true how do we get the politicians to spend effectively.
    Lets stay on topic . Does anyone have any real knowledge to add to the topic i.e schizophrenia
  17. Tyler Williams from seattle, United States writes: Interesting.

    Mike Potter in Hamilton, are you hallucinating?

    You weirdly accuse me of 'leaving out the most important part of the article' regarding marijuana.

    Hello, Mike Potter? Hello?

    Dude, I reprinted word for word from the article the sentences talking about marijuana.

    Here they are again:

    'Young patients are strongly advised to steer clear of marijuana, since recent studies have linked heavy pot use with an earlier and more intense onset of schizophrenia. Those studies may also be a clue that schizophrenia as we know it is on the rise, says neuroscientist James Kennedy, head of the Psychiatric Neurogenetics Section, at CAMH and a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto. 'Since marijuana is more widely available in North America over the past 40 years or so, this could be contributing to increased rates of schizophrenia.' '

    So, Mike Potter, what is it exactly that you are weirdly accusing me of 'leaving out'?
  18. Tyler Williams from seattle, United States writes: Interesting.

    Mike Potter in Hamilton, your weird accusation that I was 'leaving out' some sort of marijuana information - your weird accusation has led my curiosity to look at the recent medical research.

    In the huge meta-analysis published in the Lancet medical journal in 2007, here is what Lewis and colleagues reported:

    'We systematically reviewed the evidence pertaining to cannabis use and occurrence of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes... FINDINGS: There was an increased risk of any psychotic outcome in individuals who had ever used cannabis... Findings were consistent with a dose-response effect, with greater risk in people who used cannabis most frequently... we conclude that there is now sufficient evidence to warn young people that using cannabis could increase their risk of developing a psychotic illness later in life'.

    In the earlier meta-analysis (2005) by Lawrie and colleagues (Journal of Psychopharmacology), they found that 'Various lines of evidence suggest an association between cannabis and psychosis... Within the last few years, other studies have emerged, allowing the evidence for cannabis as a risk factor to be more systematically reviewed and assessed... For psychotic symptoms, a dose-related effect of cannabis use was seen, with vulnerable groups including individuals who used cannabis during adolescence... In conclusion, the available evidence supports the hypothesis that cannabis is an independent risk factor, both for psychosis and the development of psychotic symptoms.'

    And the other big 2005 meta-analysis (Henquet and colleagues) similarly concluded 'cannabis is a component cause in the development and prognosis of psychosis, in which mechanisms of gene-environment interaction are most likely to explain this association'.

    So, Mike Potter, dude, again, what was it you were weirdly accusing me of 'leaving out'?
  19. CD W from Canada writes: You know it is interesting, if you go to the pharmacy and pick up some pills and the seal on the bottle is missing or broken, you either put it back or advise the pharmacist. When you buy your dope from the dealer, you dont know if it has pcp in it, or ghb, or any other contaminant. So safe dope? Every heard of safe bullets? It is amazing the intellectual accomodations demanded by druggies.
  20. Tyler Williams from seattle, United States writes: Interesting.

    Web Warlock from Canada writes, quite amusingly: 'marijuana is only not safe for those ALREADY DISPOSED to getting schizophrenia - no one gets schizophrenia from pot, although it may be a trigger'.

    Um, Web Warlock, dude, you are not making any sense, you are wrong, and you are not being helpful.

    You see, folks who are 'disposed' to getting an illness do not necessarily get the illness. You see this in identical twins, where only one individual gets the disease and not the other.

    Contrary to your babbling, a trigger can induce an illness in a person who otherwise would not have gotten the illness at all. Um, that is why they call it a 't-r-i-g-g-e-r'. You pull it and bang, there's the bad result. Get it? That is why the quoted scientist was commenting on what factor could be 'contributing to increased rates of schizophrenia'.

    And actually, all of the above quoted material in my previous posts simply shows that all those researchers are confident that there is now 'sufficient evidence to warn young people that using cannabis could increase their risk of developing a psychotic illness later in life'.

    Web Warlock, dude, you are free to deny or to ignore what the researchers are saying. But at least be honest with yourself about what you are doing.
  21. web warlock from Canada writes: CD W:
    You're in favor of legalization, then?

    Given that this is a pretty harmless weed we're talking about, at least for over 99 percent of the population, and it grows pretty much all on it's own like any other weed, I'm not sure what motivation a dealer would have for polluting his product, given that his customers would desert him if they detected anything amiss. He wouldn't be a dealer for very long.

    Legalization would mean less contaminants, and a safer supply of a drug that is already much safer than alcohol (not that I've ever heard of this actually happening to anyone I know.) Really I think this whole 'contaminated weed' argument is a very good argument for legalization.
  22. Doris Wrench Eisler from St. Albert. AB, Canada writes: They should drop the term schizophrenia altogether. Mental health experts used to be certain it had to do with a defective gene and defective brains; shorts in the circuit, so to speak. It could only be treated with anti-psychotic drugs - which often didn't work. Now irritability is a sign, and lack of concentration. Background situation, lack of family support, too much parental pressure, these are discounted, especially if other family members are doing all right. Disordered thinking. There are so many people out there doing just fine with this symptom/sign. God not only talks to George Bush but advises him to invade Iraq, regardless of international law and human decency.Have you heard of the rantings of Sun Myung Moon? Everyone seems sane in comparison. No, I don't buy it. There is too much room for unethical behavior on the part of practitioners. It should be considered going through a 'bad patch' and intervention a matter of setting up better coping mechanisms. Build up self-esteem and teach self-acceptance. It will be a sad day when anything but a constant smile is considered a bad sign. In fact, we're halfway there. The trend now is to hide feelings as much as possible and people being interviewed on T.V. after having been in or witnessed a bad accident or occurrence are as apt to maintain a vague smile on their faces as not - you have to show you are coping, above all. Is this healthy?
  23. web warlock from Canada writes: Actually, Tyler, dude, I'm not wrong.

    From the actual study:

    Results On an individual level, cannabis use confers an overall twofold increase in the relative risk for later schizophrenia. At the population level, elimination of cannabis use would reduce the incidence of schizophrenia by approximately 8%, assuming a causal relationship. Cannabis use appears to be neither a sufficient nor a necessary cause for psychosis. It is a component cause, part of a complex constellation of factors leading to psychosis.

    Conclusions Cases of psychotic disorder could be prevented by discouraging cannabis use among vulnerable youths. Research is needed to understand the mechanisms by which cannabis causes psychosis.

    END

    Let me repeat the relevant line:

    Cannabis use appears to be neither a sufficient nor a necessary cause for psychosis, dude.

    My sister in law has schizophrenia. She didn't get it from smoking pot, dude. I would never promote anything that I thought would cause schizophrenia, dude. Chances are, if pot triggers the schizophrenia you already had, if you didn't smoke the pot, something else would trigger it, like a highly emotional event such as breaking up with your girlfriend, dude. These people are already broken, dude. Given that 99% of people don't have schizophrenia, I think your argument for banning weed is pretty weak... dude.
  24. al goguen from victoria, Canada writes: What do we do when we suspect a friend showing signs of being schizoprenic? A friend is acting very weird these days and she is so convinced that her hallucinations are true, that I am left spechless. Now these things that she imagines are not simple things but impossible one. Seh wanted to have coffee with me to tell me all the things she has heard from her wall, as she is convinced that her neighbohood has wired connecting with the person lving above her. Now this is a concrete building and only a constructor could do what she is saying. She also believes that her phone is taped and they can hear every words she said. She imagine also a kind of TV screen in the ceiling of her bathroom and each time she takes a bath, she can hear: `Now she is taking bath! Or she is peiing again. She called the manager to check on her findings and she was arguing with him that he was not listening. Another time she told me that they stop talking when strangers, visitors come along. She is planning to sue them. She can`t use her phone. She came here to see if she could use my phone. She called a lawyer. She was explaining her weird behavior and I could tell that the lawyer`s secreatray saying the he hasa dealt with similar cases , and do make an appointment. I contacted her younger brother, but he also has noticed her stange behavior and doesn`t know what to do. Ii is very sad. Wish I could help, but I don`t know how.
  25. L T from Canada writes: You can help by taking her to an orthomolecular doctor, and getting her to good physical examination to find out what physical problem is causing her symptoms. Diabetes is a good possibility.
  26. Richard Roskell from Canada writes: I have a good friend who's a schizophrenic. I'm not sure who's the smarter: him or me.
  27. S F from Canada writes: Al Goguen: My best wishes for your friend. You might consider calling a local doctor's office, or hospital, to ask about available resources. In my job I've had to do this, and doctors/nurses/counsellors are usually quite receptive to offering suggestions. Obviously they won't diagnose over the phone, but they can help to determine if the situation is urgent (i.e. if she's a danger to herself or others), and, if not, can give you suggestions about how to best encourage your friend to seek help.

    As for this whole discussion about marijuana: the important thing, obviously, is doing what's best for public health and safety. Based on what I know, I can't agree that the drug should remain illegal. There are simply too many people who use it regardless, and given that this situation won't change, I think it's best to legalize and REGULATE the supply.

    Public education is a separate issue. There probably is some kind of correlation between drug use and psychotic illness, and this needs to be circulated so that people can make informed decisions. 'Education' is a key word here: I'm not talking about launching scare campaigns, because more often than not those backfire. People need ACCURATE, balanced information about these risks. Growing up, my parents gave me this kind of information -- never moralized or catastrophized, really, but were up-front about realistic risks of drug use. And, lo and behold, I was probably the cleanest-living kid in my high school, never drank, never even smoked tobacco. Why? I wasn't naive, or a goody-goody, and certainly, most of my friends dabbled (at least) a bit. But such things just didn't have that 'forbidden fruit' appeal for me. Distort the facts, and people see through it. Make something seem exotic and dangerous, and people will be fascinated and enticed. But give people good information -- I won't guarantee success here, but I think it gives us the best chance of fostering sensible behavior.
  28. m m n from Canada writes: Mental Health has become big business in the world today. Prescribing drugs to treat is the norm. 99% of psychiatrists do believe that legal drugs work Rare are those who believe in therapy.
    Pot smoking isn't my thing but I lived with a man for ten years and he smoked every day. It certainly didn't affect his ability to have a career and a healthy life. The THC levels are higher now then they were and if pot were legalized those levels could be controlled.
    Stress, an unhealthy diet and lack of support are important factors in causing a person to become mentally unstable. Why is it that those important facts are never mentioned by the professionals?
  29. Joseph T from Victoria, Canada writes: Richard Roskell: your comment left me in stitches! Good one!
  30. Bert Russell Paradox, BC from Canada writes: Web warlock Dude: I think you just a tweak too sensitive about negative comments about the herbal thing. There is a lot of downside to the use of it, same with alcohol. Some people can handle it, in moderation, but a lot abuse it.
    Just to say it is harmless and should be legalized is too simplistic and a generlization such as 99% dont have psychosis and Canabis use appears to be ..... are weasel words used by drug Pharms with surveys to protect their as$es.
    You seem to have done some research yourself, perhaps to justify your indulgence to some who have critisized you, but your a man right?
  31. john chuckman from Canada writes: Tyler Williams at great length has made little or no point.

    His angry, intense tone however is clear.

    And, for my own part, anyone addressing others as 'Dude' belongs in a local coffee shop trying to make a career as a wannabe stand-up comedian.
  32. Glenn Miller from Hamilton, Canada writes: No, there's nothing new here. It's just another thinly disguised attempt for more money by the psychiatric industry to cover up the total failure of their quack pseudo science. How about first off a complete medical examination by a competent doctor who is not a psychiatrist followed with treatment for underlying illnesses found and a check for nutritional deficiencies? But no--there's too much money to be made the way it's being done now.
  33. john doe from toronto, Canada writes: Bert Russell Paradox, BC writes: '... Some people can handle [pot], in moderation, but a lot abuse it.
    Just to say it is harmless and should be legalized is too simplistic and a generlization such as 99% dont have psychosis...'

    Epilepsy affects a similar number of people as schizophrenia. It has been medically proven that alcohol leads to, and exacerbates, seizures. But should alcohol be made illegal to protect future sufferers of epilepsy? Or should pot be legalized so it can be regulated (as alcohol is, and prescription drugs are, for that matter), and its potential problems publicized? Clearly, prohibition doesn't work.

    Is pot harmless? Of course not -- some people with illnesses like schizophrenia are not helped by it, and possibly made worse. That's easy to see. But co-opting the potentially negative effects of a drug -- as an excuse to prohibit it -- is malarky.
  34. Stephen John from Toronto, Canada writes: Interesting advice about Cannabis.
    I find it hard to believe Cannabis use would
    develop into schizophrenia.
    The disease or genetic markers would have to exist first
    and cannabis could exasperate it for some people.
    On the other hand I know people like me who have been cured
    of mental illness by using Cannabis.
    Correct Strain selection of Cannabis seems to be the deciding
    factor in wether it helps an individual or not.
    Regardless Cannabis is by far the safest -least harmful of all
    drugs I have taken- and that includes all pharmaceuticals and even aspirin.
    Hell water will kill you and the air we breathe but cannabis is non-lethal and the most illegal?
    How ironic!
  35. Tyler Williams from seattle, United States writes: Interesting.

    It's fascinating how many writers appear to be hallucinating. I noted two in my previous posts.

    Now Warlock joins the list, saying: 'I think your argument for banning weed is weak'.

    Warlock, dude! Are you hallucinating badly, or what? I did not argue for banning weed. What I said was that 'if, as reported, pot can be the trigger for some folks to come down with the disease of schizophrenia, wouldn't it be good if they avoided the trigger in the first place?'.

    But more importantly, Warlock, your reading skills appear dangerously impaired. What I quoted, in addition to the expert in this newspaper article, were THREE different big meta-analyses published by researchers, all of which were in agreement with the same comment: 'we conclude that there is now sufficient evidence to warn young people that using cannabis could increase their risk of developing a psychotic illness later in life'.

    Now, you seem to be getting into a weirdly emotional denial mode about the researchers' comments. I don't know, maybe you are having guilt issues related to your worry about having been 'promoting anything that I thought would cause schizophrenia'.

    But face truth, Warlock: Even the quotes you provided simply prove your wrongheadedness. Your quotes are from a 2004 study: Your study is ancient history. The THREE studies I quoted are more recent.

    Grammatically, even your old study does not even say what you believe. You simply grasp for non-existent straws. That old study found 'cannabis use confers an overall twofold increase in the relative risk for later schizophrenia'. And yes, it noted that 'Cannabis use appears to be not a necessary cause for psychosis ' (um, duh, yes, there are OTHER causes), and itself 'appears to be not a sufficient cause for psychosis' (um, duh, yes, only SOME folks are genetically sensitive to it as a trigger, having a needed sensitivity COMPONENT).
  36. Tyler Williams from seattle, United States writes: Interesting.

    Hey, John Chuckman - maybe you could get together with Web Warrior and enjoy the special view together (the special view you get by having your head buried in denial the sand).
  37. Steven Palmer from Victoria, Canada writes: Most of us who actually work with people suffering from mental illness... such as schizophrenia, understand that any number of things can exaserbate the problem, however, nothing causes more suffering and pain for these folks, than the poverty and stygma imposed on them by the ignorance, negligence, superstition and fear of the average Canadian towards their fellow citizens diagnosed with any form of mental illness! Incidentally, an occasional puff of Cannabis, or a cold beer on a hot day, is really NOT the problem. Respectfully, Steven Palmer ~DRA Advocate DISABLED RIGHTS ALLIANCE A Non-Government Organization DISABLED-RIGHTS-ALLIANCE@telus.net
  38. E T from Canada writes: Mike Potter: you asked if anyone had any real knowledge of schizophrenia to contribute. I have some - my doctorate was on the subject. So here goes: 1) Schiz. is most likely brought about by additive effects of multiple predispositions, several of which are actually congenital (genetic, in utero or peri partum). 2) Yes, cannibis use can further stress an already predisposed brain and serve as one of the additive effectsw. No, cannibis use will not suddenly turn normal people schizophrenic. 3) To everyone commenting on 'quack science', drug company conspiracies, etc.: give it up. Scizophrenia is a disorder of the brain, it is quantifiable, it has physiological phenomena (cortical volume decrease for example), and it is real. The reason present treatment options aren't so good is 1) subpopulations of non-responders, and 2) unwanted side effects.
    Hope that clears a few things up.
  39. web warlock from Canada writes: Good morning Tyler,

    I'm not denying that it would be good for young people to avoid marijuana. I'm just saying that there's no proof that marijuana causes schizophrenia.

    It appears that the authors of the Lancet study agree:

    'The uncertainty about whether cannabis causes psychosis is unlikely to be resolved by further longitudinal studies such as those reviewed here.'

    The Lancet study indicates that cannabis users have, on average, a 41% greater risk of developing psychosis than non-users. The risk was most pronounced in cases with an existing risk of psychotic disorder, and was said to grow up to 200% for the most-frequent users.

    So, people who have existing risks like family members with schizophrenia, or people who abuse marijuana are more likely to have problems.

    Any drug has side effects. I think it's widely accepted by the scientific community that contrary to popular belief, even long-term heavy use of cannabis does not produce the severe or grossly debilitating impairment of memory, attention, and cognitive function that is found with chronic heavy alcohol use. There's also a link between violence and alcohol. Do you drink, Tyler? You seem a bit... uptight, as well as possibly cognitively impaired. I mean, you're suggesting that 2004 is ancient history? I've seen the studies that showed marijuana causes cancer from back in the late 60s or so, and I've seen the same researcher in the last few years come out with new data showing that marijuana has protective properties against cancer. 2004 is only ancient history if you're only ten years old, son.
  40. another troll from Canada writes: The authorities have trumped up so many studies about marijuana over the decades, I wonder if anyone will actually listen to them this time?

    It's interesting that alcohol can also cause psychosis
    http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic3113.htm
    Roughly 3% of persons with alcoholism experience psychosis during acute intoxication or withdrawal. Approximately 10% of patients who are dependent on alcohol who are in withdrawal experience severe withdrawal symptomatology, including psychosis.
  41. Tyler Williams from seattle, United States writes: Interesting.

    Good old Web Warlock appears to be badly out of touch with contemporary research if he does not understand why a 2004 report can be properly considered 'ancient history' compared to multiple subsequent - including 2007 - meta-analyses.

    And it has nothing to do with his age or my age (as much as he may wish to call me 'son'!).

    Very weirdly, Warlock now wants to spin off and babble about the many ills of alcohol.

    Let's stick to the topic of schizophrenia and marijuana, shall we?

    The Lancet authors (the study Warlock quoted) 'conclude that there is now sufficient evidence to warn young people that using cannabis could increase their risk of developing a psychotic illness later in life'.

    Indeed, regarding Warlock's own stated interest in 'proof that marijuana causes schizophrenia', those particular Lancet authors reply plainly:

    'What is more pertinent is whether the evidence that is now available can justify policy implications, such as public education campaigns to alert people to the possible risks associated with cannabis... policy makers need to provide the public with advice about this widely used drug. We believe that there is now enough evidence to inform people that using cannabis could increase their risk of developing a psychotic illness later in life.'
  42. another troll from Canada writes: Given that I think we can agree that Canadians smoke more pot than almost anybody else, does anybody know if we're more psychotic?
  43. Magnolia Fan from Canada writes: Doris Wrench Eisler and m m n have hit the nail on the head. Schizophrenia is socially constructed BS. We have to think hard about what we as a society are giving up by allowing psychiatrists to go around zombifying people with antipsychotic drugs.

    In Africa, the term schizophrenia doesn't exist. They do on the other hand have shaman. In other word, people who are in touch with things that others cannot see are religious figures. They live productive lives, and don't rely on pharmaceutical drugs.

    Now think about the bible, or any other religious book. Ask yourself, if Moses, or the Buddha were alive today, and they said that they saw a burning bush, or nirvana, would they be locked up and forced to take antipsychotic drugs? Of course they would, all in the guise of kindness and compassion.

    We need to allow the freedom of thought that our charter guarantees and put an end to psychiatry.
  44. Ghetto Dude from Istanbul, Turkey writes: Magnolia Fan from Canada, of course schizophrenia in Africa would be an asset when compared to malaria. The productive lives they live is so obviously successful that they are about to extinct. You could have proposed a more attractive alternative.
    I personnaly think if all those Nirvana people you talk about were entertained in a nuthouse once instead of carrying them on our shoulders for centuries, the world would have been more civilised today. The freedom of thought concept is not introduced to create a planet of junkies and/or theocratic societies. (Well, if you ask me how you will rely on psychiatrists when they tell sane from insane, that is the issue I would say.)

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