Pot's Dark Side: Delusions, Psychotic Symptoms

[ghostsinthemachine]

Smoking marijuana can lead to more than a euphoric high, and has been linked to long-lasting delusions, mouth swelling and several other surprising effects, according to a new review of research on the recreational use of the drug.

"All recreational users should be aware of potential undesired acute cannabinoid effects," or the effects of being high on pot, study author Dr. Eva Hoch, of the department of addictive behavior and addiction medicine at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, told Live Science. The type and severity of these effects depend on many factors, such as the composition of the cannabis, how often someone uses marijuana, the user's disposition and how much they smoke, Hoch said.

Recreational marijuana use has been legalized in several U.S. states, but researchers are still learning about the effects the drug has on a person's mind and body.

To find out, Hoch and colleagues reviewed 116 previous studies that had focused on recreational use of marijuana, not medical marijuana use. The researchers "were surprised by the variety of potential mental and physical health effects reported in the literature," Hoch said.

For instance, from the review, they identified 12 signs of "acute intoxication" or being high on marijuana, which doctors could use to identify when someone is high. These included feeling anxious or agitated, having a slow reaction time or trouble paying attention, feeling euphoric and disinhibited, having an altered sense of time, having limited judgment abilities, experiencing acoustic, optic or tactile illusions, experiencing feelings of being separate from your body or from reality, exhibiting impaired overall physical and mental performance, experiencing hallucinations or paranoid delusions.

READ MORE: http://news.yahoo.com/pots-dark-side-delusions-psychotic-symptoms-144859094.html

Funny but I know a big ass load of stoners, in fact almost everyone I know, get to know or want to know are stoners. I know no one with these symptoms.

[Wilms]

1. Well, I've seen some of them.

Granted, my sense is they were inexperienced users who consumed too much and weren't wrapped to tight to begin with.

And I've seen those same symptoms in people who took to much alcohol, religion, and Fox News, and/or were raised by people utterly ill-equipped for the task.

[Gregorian]

2. Fox News' Dark Side: Believing The Hype

The onlydark side pot had for me was studying too hard and not getting to know fellow students better.

[tridim]

3. "Acute intoxication" is not possible with substances that are non-toxic.

The author must be thinking of alcohol, which is toxic and can easily kill you if you drink it.

[Go Vols]

4. lol

I've been smoking since the mid '70's and this shit happens every time.

Here's my wife after 3 puffs.

[Callmecrazy]

5. That's a reaction to a pesticide...

not cannabis. Happened to ONE friend of mine. He was fine an hour later.

[WDIM]

6. Just Reefer madess propaganda

"Particularly vulnerable to the health effects of marijuana....people with a history of psychosis, depression, anxiety or other mental disorders"

If these people already have a history of mental disorders how would cannabis be the cause? Maybe a trigger like people with heart conditions. But just because it triggers it doesnt mean it caused it.

I have used cannabis with hundreds of people and i have yet to see one person have any negative effects. Besides over eating and sleepiness.

Sounds to me like the professor of addictive behavior is just looking for job security.

There are way more legal dangerous substances that people ingest daily. Plus if we outlawed and locked up people for using everything that could bad for you. There would be nothing left and everybody would be in prison.

[DiverDave]

7. BS from the rehab mogals

never had it happen, never saw it.
And I figure I, and my friends smoked a bale of weed. All kinds of weed, hash, hash oil.
Never saw anyone freak out, never.

Lies from the scare mongers.

[Blue_In_AK]

8. Pfffttt...

Aren't a lot of the "signs of acute intoxication" why people indulge in the first place? LOL.

On a serious note, I've been smoking cannabis for going on 50 years and have never experienced any adverse effects except for one time when I stood up too fast and nearly passed out when I had been smoking some Panama Red back in 1968.

[ghostsinthemachine]

9. the only adverse effect I had from pot was I saw

KISS.....



WITHOUT the makeup.

[Blue_In_AK]

11. Ooooh, scary.

[jaysunb]

10. Exactly...

and I sometimes wish I could find a little Panama Red these days...just for the old cotton mouth, red eyed euphoria.

[Blue_In_AK]

12. Life was a lot simpler in those days.

The Panama Red, the Acapulco Gold, the Thai stick, the Matanuska Tunderf***... These days there are too many choices. LOL.

I've been growing my own for the past 10 years or so, though, so I have my own personal strain. It's not like those oldies, however.

[jaysunb]

13. Thai Stick, on a stick, wrapped w/ catgut

string. Yes Sir !!

[shanti]

14. the only bad experiences I've had

Last edited Sun May 17, 2015, 12:13 AM - Edit history (1)

were when i used cannabis in the form of edibles. very difficult to know what you're getting that way if you aren't the one making them! i had a goo ball at a reggae show once and i ended up having to sit in the first aid area for a bit as i felt nauseous and dizzy, but was fine later. same thing happened when i made brownies and underestimated the strength of the cannabutter. now i know better: small bite and wait, rinse and repeat.

[jomin41]

15. Nonsense! This is just a summary

of research of unknown quality. We know that most pot "research" is funded by opposition to find any, even bogus, problems with pot. So when you add up 116 piles of crap, you only get a bigger pile of crap. Millions of Americans have embraced pot big time now for over 50 years. By now, there should be an ARMY of enfeebled, brain-damaged, mumbling, hospitalized, deranged whackos from coast to coast (across the fruited plain). THERE IS NOT!!! QED!!!