>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Duveyoung <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> > Pot has been used for thousands of years and has never been anything
> > but a boon to any culture -- until Hearst et al.
>
> Actually, research being done at Columbia University for the last 10
years shows that
> cannabis use (yes plain old marijuana) increases the likelihood of
developing psychosis by
> ten fold.
You are joking right? Another satire?
quote ----
Down at the bottom of the CNN report ("Marijuana may increase
psychosis risk, analysis says ") on the Lancet published study that
claims that frequent marijuana use may cause psychosis we find:
Two of the authors of the study were invited experts on the
Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Cannabis Review in 2005.
Several authors reported being paid to attend drug company-sponsored
meetings related to marijuana, and one received consulting fees from
companies that make antipsychotic medications.
Thank goodness that the drug companies have those scientists on staff.
As seems quite possible a scientist could make quite different
conclusions from the study.
CNN's nay sayer offers weak protest:
Dr. Wilson Compton, a senior scientist at the National Institute
on Drug Abuse in Washington, called the study persuasive.
but
Scientists cannot rule out that pre-existing conditions could have
led to both marijuana use and later psychoses, he added.
Actually, the Lancet report does offer to rule out pre-existing
conditions but don't let that stop mainstream news from burying any
protests against cooked science deeply under a mountain of neocon BS.
Also, note the politically convenient timing of the report:
In the U.K., the government will soon reconsider how marijuana
should be classified in its hierarchy of drugs. In 2004, it was
downgraded and penalties for possession were reduced. Many expect
marijuana will be bumped up to a class "B" category, with offenses
likely to lead to arrests or longer jail sentences.
It has been shown that the War on Drugs has increased terrorism
(especially in poor third world countries).
It is still possible that marijuana is being used by psychotic people
like medical marijuana is, as an actual palliative.
This could be what the drug companies fear, a natural, growable,
alternative to their expensive drugs.
-------- quote 2
Psychosis and Marijuana Use
There is no proof that cannabis can cause a psychosis with people who
don't have a history of psychotic behavior or a tendency for
psychosis. It is a fact that only a small percentage of the estimated
300 000 people who smoke cannabis in Holland become psychotic. As far
as we know it only concerns people who are consciously or
unconsciously sensitive for psychosis. However, it is possible that
cannabis can turn out badly with "healthy" people as well and cause
anxiety or depression. Fortunately, these symptoms will not last and
quickly disappear. There is no proof whatsoever that long-term and
daily use of cannabis can cause a psychosis among "healthy" people,
but the risk cannot be totally ignored. There are examples of people
in India who - after years of daily use - started to show symptoms
similar to psychosis, like hallucinations, delusions and total
introversion. However, these are just descriptions of cases and are
not scientifically proven.
So cannabis is almost positively harmful to people who tend to
psychosis. Therefore, in 1993 research was done at the Academic
Medical Center in Amsterdam (AMC) among 93 psychotic patients. It
showed that 61% of the patients who used cannabis during 15 months,
more than once a day, fell back into a psychosis. Almost every user
suffering from psychosis turned out to use cannabis at least a year
before their first psychosis. According to the researcher it meant
that the use of cannabis by vulnerable people could result in
developing a psychosis. (Source: Don Linszen et al., Archives of
General Psychiatry 1994).
Further research to the use of cannabis by people with a tendency to
psychosis shows that:
* Relapse in a psychosis occurs more often among cannabis users
than non-cannabis users.
* Cannabis has a negative effect on the course of the psychosis.
* Users of cannabis suffering from a psychosis become psychotic
faster, more heavily and more sustained.
* Users of cannabis with a tendency to psychosis become psychotic
at a younger age than non-users.
* Medication necessary for psychotic patients is less effective
when someone uses cannabis. At the same time the side effects are less
harmful. Often that is one of the reasons why people use cannabis.
* Psychotic people often use cannabis because it decreases the
symptoms of the psychosis. It is used as a form of self-medication
against fears, especially social fears like difficulty in talking in
public. Patients indicate that it was easier and they felt better when
they had used cannabis. Note that using cannabis is illegal in most
countries.
end of quote
------------------------------------------
Whatever you are on let us know so we can add it to list of things to
stay way way away from.
