OK, I don’t use marijuana, never have, not planning on trying it. But it’s now legal in my state and many other states, and I don’t know how harmless or dangerous it is. How dangerous it really is affects how much I care about use by others.
Alex Berenson has been publishing a number of articles claiming that marijuana use causes psychosis. One just came out today, which derives from a study in Denmark that apparently found some strong correlations:
They found that cannabis use disorder was a stunningly powerful signal for a coming schizophrenia diagnosis; someone with the disorder had a 30-fold risk of being later diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Much of that increased risk could be explained by other factors, such as a family history of mental illness, which are also higher in people with cannabis use disorders. But even after they adjusted for all those factors, they found cannabis addiction was associated with a 2.3x risk of developing schizophrenia.
Cannabis addiction was most dangerous for younger men. Men 20 and under had nearly four times the risk of developing schizophrenia if they were heavy users.
Overall, about 15 percent of schizophrenia cases diagnosed in men in 2021 occurred as the result of cannabis addiction, the researchers found. For younger men the percentage was even higher.
It is partially derived from a Bloomberg News article, apparently.
So on m4c we have lots of police, some other first responders, some doctors and nurses, and of course everyone has relatives and friends with relatives. From what you have seen, or private serious conversations with others who have first-hand knowledge, do you think the claims of marijuana leading to or causing mental illness has some basis? Or is it more just “reefer madness” and DEA propaganda?
It’s been my personal observation that those who began using marijuana on a regular basis at an early age (high school) tended to do poorly in school which generally affected the rest of their life. Whether marijuana use affected the young mind’s ability and/or desire to learn I’ll leave for others to argue, but I believe the impact on the young mind is the greatest.
Dramatically increased incidents of psychosis, often permanent, and even schizophrenia, are very real amongst young people. Anecdotally, I know of 3 teenage boys affected to the point of requiring hospitalization. One of whom is the son of my oldest friend.
Cannabis isn’t what it used to be even 15 or 20 years ago. Psychoactive compound percentages are multiple times higher for one. I further speculate that with the progression of instability our nation has seen over the past decade or two, the overall mental health of our population has suffered overall.
Our young men have been bombarded with gaslighting propaganda telling them they’re racist, misogynist, and propably not even male… All the while going through a critical developmental stage/crisis on the cusp of adulthood. Add in the powerful psychoactive effects of concentrated THC, along with a little of this and a little of that, and is it really any wonder that we have an increase of psychosis?
I’ve had to fight more drunks than I care to remember from my cop days. One of the worst was a tiny, wiry female who just flat refused to go to jail peacefully. Initially she was being arrested for trespassing and criminal damage to property. By the time all was said and done she had two felony obstruction charges an assault charge and two more counts of criminal damage to property, and she had to be transported by EMS to the ER.
I’ve never had to go hands on with a pothead. Ever…
It’s definitely a “chicken or the egg” type of problem. My suspicion is that people who are prone to psychosis are much more likely to abuse mind-altering substances. I think they need them to sort of “break up” their misery. I’ve seen them abuse every type of drug including alcohol for relief. Of course, long term it just makes things worse. In my line of work, I deal with a lot of folks like this.
Your average person can drink some Whisky or smoke a joint on Saturday and is completely fine—hell most people’s lives are improved by it.
I went to high school in San Diego. Weed was everywhere. I knew a lot of people that smoked multiple times a week and the vast majority of them were fairly high performers in school and sports. There was only one or two who fit the typical dumb pothead stereotype. I don’t know what any of them are like now but I do know several people from my time in CO that take edibles fairly regularly. Again, really good people in all ways.
While I don’t know anything about true long term usage, if I was allowed in the military, I bet that I’d almost never drink again.
Theres studies showing it can trigger manic episodes in bipolar people. Ive seen it happen, apparently. Theres some question if the weed caused it or was a result of early manic that was undetectible at the time.
Doing anything chronicaly is bad but I dont think most people will have their life changed by smoking a little once in a while. Ive known people of all ranges that have partaken. It has real benefits for some, little effect for others, and detriments for others still.
If you have a propensity for mental illness or it doesnt really do much for you, stay away. Its a drug (goes for all including etoh.
We (OK) seem to have seen an increase in MH issues as well as encountering suspects who act and respond as though they’re wet on PCP but actually just super high THC weed or edibles.
On this issue, the country will reap what it sows.
It really depends on the person. Some people seem to be able to handle it fine, in others it can cause anything from paranoia to full on panic attacks. I know people who have reported that it worked well for them for the first few years before turning on them and only causing bad effects in later years to the point where they ended up quitting and not wanting to use it ever again. It’s very powerful stuff. Nothing to be trifled with and should be taken seriously. Not that I ever tried it. Sometimes I wonder about just how many people are actually on it these days when it has become legal in so many places.
For some like Ritalin it can help with focus, for many they get a head buzz and have issues doing normal tasks(high).
Some who on the regular use it as copium because they think life is shit and it gets them through the day.
Like a lot of day drinkers it’s the same thing, just something to cope with life.
If someone honestly has a real issue with focus id rather they go take a couple hits than be pilled up because pills bad and don’t really do what their supposed to do.
I knew a guy in school many years ago who when sober was an absolute moron.
Get him a little high and he’s a certified genius, did a years worth of work in a couple days and the teacher was just dumbfounded.
Sadly now with the whole medical card being used for everything from arthritis and cancer to anxiety.
I have issues with people who say they have anxiety just to get legal pot because anxiety can be cured from just calming yourself down and slow down the information that’s flooding their head.
There needs to be stronger regulations for so called CBD because the new thing now is that k2 stuff being labeled as CBD and is illegal in all states.
They get around it by changing the chemical formula just slightly so it goes around the law.
That shits dangerous and it was the USA government that paid a scientist to recreate the effects of THC on the brain and he said this is not good.