Peer-reviewed journal finds no link between cannabis and schizophrenia

[RainDog]

the BBC, especially, seemed to love to hawk scare stories about schizophrenia and new "stronger" cannabis (without understanding titration, apparently) over the last year and this claim certainly made an impact here as some of these threads show:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/searchresults.html?q=marijuana+schizophrenia&sitesearch=democraticunderground.com&sa=Search&domains=democraticunderground.com&client=pub-7805397860504090&forid=1&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A11&hl=en

However, this long-term study disputes this claim.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19560900

This paper investigates whether this (a predicted increase in schizophrenia and/or psychosis among cannabis users) has occurred in the UK by examining trends in the annual prevalence and incidence of schizophrenia and psychoses, as measured by diagnosed cases from 1996 to 2005. Retrospective analysis of the General Practice Research Database (GPRD) was conducted for 183 practices in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The study cohort comprised almost 600,000 patients each year, representing approximately 2.3% of the UK population aged 16 to 44. Between 1996 and 2005 the incidence and prevalence of schizophrenia and psychoses were either stable or declining. Explanations other than a genuine stability or decline were considered, but appeared less plausible. In conclusion, this study did not find any evidence of increasing schizophrenia or psychoses in the general population from 1996 to 2005.

This study supports a recently published clinical trial that shows thc does not cause the expression of dopamine in the brain that one finds in schizophrenia.

One reason to support the legalization of cannabis is that hemp (obtained from a non-psychoactive variety of cannabis) is also illegal. Hemp is an efficient bio-mass product with multiple uses, including replacing petrol as a source material for plastics, a viable substitute for forestry - replacing an annual crop with the cutting of old-growth forests for paper and timber products.

I hope Californians will make sure they're registered to vote so that they can help bring an end to prohibition... and I'm expressing that hope again here. The recent oil disaster makes this issue seem more important than ever.

[backscatter712]

1. Again, the Anslinger Reefer Madness brigade proved wrong! n/t

[mike_c]

2. the voices tell me that this is a good time to spark one up....

g'night, DU! My sweetie is waiting for me to come to bed. Sweet dreams, all. :smoke:

[Duer 157099]

3. And people really need to just mellow the hell out

If more people openly were able to smoke pot, we'd live in a much less angry agressive hostile stressed out world.

Seriously.

[RainDog]

8. seriously n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

4. Oh yeah? If Pot is so harmless, why have we spent over $100 Billion to lock up pot smokers?

http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/international-30/1273829353198500.xml&storylist=international&thispage=2

Huh? Huh?

;-)

[Scuba]

7. So they can lock up innocent civilians......

... and turn them into slave labor. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8428272

[RainDog]

11. sad. n/t

[laughingliberal]

5. We coulda told 'em that! nt

[howard112211]

6. Then why do I hear voices if I take a single hit of weed?

In any case: Pot should be legalized. If for no other reason, then at least because the people who have bad reactions to it are the most likely to get into trouble with the law because of it.

[RainDog]

9. it's called "the radio." :)

[Echo In Light]

10. Existence mired within the "value$" of corporate culture causes schizophrenia, not smoking pot