Are claims that marijuana causes schizophrenia driven by anti-marijuana politics or good science?
Posted on 11 February 2012 by smokeandtoke6123
Query by Carol R: Are claims that marijuana causes schizophrenia driven by anti-marijuana politics or good science?
The following two excerpts from news posts make suspect the February 7, 2011 published examine that marijuana causes schizophrenia:
According to the following MSNBC article, the lead writer of the recent study refuses to have the research peer-reviewed but desires to “market” it in a public forum, this kind of as CBS’ 60 Minutes:
Whereas most research like his are presented at health-related conferences, [ Dr. Matthew Big ] said he’s not going to bother traveling about to announce his final results to other medical doctors. Rather, he stated, he wishes to speak about his results in public forums.
“I am not a advertising expert,” he said, “but we have to discover a way to tell young kids to hold off.” We may not be capable to convince them to never use pot, he extra, but they require to wait until they’re older — a message, he acknowledged, that will be tricky to deliver.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41464598/ns/wellbeing-mental_wellness/
According to the following TIME article, the population of persons with schizophrenia do not match up with the marijuana use trends:
“Still, none of the information linking marijuana use and psychosis can prove causality or sufficiently explain why prices of schizophrenia have remained steady or even declined considering that the 1950s, whilst marijuana use has improved exponentially. As opposed to rates of cigarette smoking and lung cancer, which rise in tandem, marijuana smoking prices in the population do not correlate with increased rates of schizophrenia.”
http://healthland.time.com/2011/02/07/marijuana-linked-with-earlier-onset-of-schizophrenia-in-investigation-assessment/
Certainly from the over comment by Dr. Big and his rush to “market” the study’s final results without permitting them to be a peer-reviewed by other researchers, this examine was performed with an anti-marijuana agenda.
What do you believe?
Best answer:
Solution by Elliot
It’s complete BS. Marijuana is safer than tobacco.
What do you feel? Solution under!
Tags | AntiMarijuana, causes, Claims, driven, good, Marijuana, Politics, schizophrenia, Science
They are driven by rumors that if you claim schizophrenia you can get a dose for each personality.
I think the good doctor is biased against marijuana.
Any respectable, credible study would be peer-reviewed, because how then could they fault it? Unless it was all s***.
Seriously, smoking marijuana will not cause schizophrenia. It isn’t a dissociative drug, for a start.
good science a long term study jusy completed by university of NSW shows that about 10% of young heavy uses will bevelop a psychotic episode . Elliot you are 100% wrong it is more harmful espically in under 25′s
I don’t think there is any way to know for sure. Maybe a certain percent of people who have a mental illness have smoked pot, but can you say for sure that was what caused it? Is there a possibility it could have been another drug? They may have become mentally ill even if they never smoked pot.
I think there may be a risk for a small percent of people, and maybe the risk is higher if they use it while the brain is still developing.
It is a fact that it induces paranoia in some people, and that is one of the main parts of schizophrenia. So it is affecting that part of the brain.
Maybe, if he is correct, he wants to “tell kids to hold off” before the lengthy peer review process. Wouldn’t that best serve the kids?
“Unlike rates of cigarette smoking and lung cancer, which rise in tandem, . . . ” undeniably proves your source is dishonest.
About 1% of the American population has schizo. When you look at the population of Americans who smoke marijuana, it goes up to a whopping 2%. Not exactly rock solid evidence that pot causes schizo.
I think he’s just another piece of garbage out there trying to score points for the industries that will forever want weed and hemp illegal. That’s all. He may simply be one of those that have been duped into believing the mess. He was duped and has spent his whole life trying to win a losing argument.
I have to ask, what causes ADD? Maybe that’s something else they can try to blame on weed….Alcoholic? Weed… Abusive? Weed…. But never Intelligent? Weed.
People are phony and I am quite sick of it.
Heavy use of extremely potent marijuana can have psychotic effects. It is based on good science, i assure you.
It’s the only legitimate health effect, it’s rare, and it could be reduced GREATLY by the legalisation of marijuana. To make pot more potent, growers will find strains with more THC, the active ingredient.
Now, the only problem is, THC is what contributes to the schizophrenia. NATURALLY, cannabis has another chemical that has no psychological effects but counters the THC in regards to schizophrenia and other psychoses. It is called CHB, if I remember correctly.
In natural cannabis, these chemicals have a 2:2 balance. So this pot isnt as potent, but it would never give you schizophrenia. However, with manipulation and cross-breeding, growers have brought it to as far as 4:0…the pot is potent as can be, but it’s more likely to cause schizophrenia or other forms of psychosis.
If we were to legalise, we could assure that only the natural strains, with less potency and more CHB would be sold. Thus eliminating the ONLY proven health effect of marijuana.
Smoking pot does not cause schizophrenia(but can cause pot mental breaks) but rather trigger the gene in somebody that is predisposed for schizophrenia.Then there is paranoid schizophrenia.Since smoking pot makes you paranoid,it is very likely if you have the gene using drugs can turn on the gene.The thing is nobody knows if they have the gene.Its like playing Russian roulette.I think many people will do or say anything to get grant money.
http://mentalhealth.about.com/od/schizophrenia/a/potsz.htm
Marijuana isn’t thought to cause schizophrenia if the underlying risk factors (including, but not limited to, genetic factors) are not there. At least, that’s how I understand it. It’s just one part of a complex picture.
I love marajuana. And so do I.