Daily cannabis use linked to psychosis

[Guest guest]

Daily cannabis use linked to psychosis

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1 & ObjectID=10113187

 

02.03.05

by Rebecca Walsh

 

 

 

People who use cannabis every day are nearly twice as likely to suffer

psychotic symptoms than non-users, an Otago University study has found.

 

The research, by Professor David Fergusson and colleagues at the

Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, is part of a

longitudinal study which has followed 1000 people for 25 years.

 

People were asked at ages 18, 21 and 25 whether they used cannabis. In

a typical year about 4 to 5 per cent said they used cannabis every day and

50 to 60 per cent said they never used it.

 

Professor Fergusson said daily users suffered a clear increase in

psychotic symptoms. They were between 1.6 and 1.8 times more likely to

experience symptoms such as hearing voices others couldn't hear, to suffer

paranoid thoughts and feel isolated from others. There were no differences

between males and females.

 

Professor Fergusson said about six major longitudinal studies had

reported a link between cannabis and psychotic symptoms but there had been

doubts about whether it could be due to other factors, such as use of other

drugs. Questions were also raised about whether people with psychotic

symptoms were more likely to use cannabis to start with.

 

The new study, to be published in the international journal Addiction,

had controlled for such factors and still found a clear association.

 

" These are not huge increases in risk and nor should they be because

cannabis is by no means the only thing that will determine if you suffer

these symptoms, " he said.

 

Occasional cannabis smoking would not have any impact.

 

Professor Fergusson said debate around cannabis use had been polarised

into two camps - those who believed it caused terrible harm and those who

believed it was not harmful and should be legalised. " I think the truth lies

somewhere in the middle. "

 

Ross Bell, executive director of the New Zealand Drug Foundation, said

the study reinforced the fact the issue was not black and white.

 

" This kind of research sends out a warning we need to take into

account the harm of cannabis. "

 

Cannabis use and its impact on mental health had been widely discussed

as part of a health select committee inquiry in 2003.

 

United Future's support agreement with the Government rules out any

changes to the legal status of cannabis.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Yeah right! Thought you could use a laugh...

 

----

 

 

Misty

03/24/05 00:28:04

Health and Healing; Armageddon or New Age

Daily cannabis use linked to psychosis

 

Daily cannabis use linked to psychosis

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1 & ObjectID=10113187

 

02.03.05

by Rebecca Walsh

 

 

 

People who use cannabis every day are nearly twice as likely to suffer

psychotic symptoms than non-users, an Otago University study has found.

 

The research, by Professor David Fergusson and colleagues at the

Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, is part of a

longitudinal study which has followed 1000 people for 25 years.

 

People were asked at ages 18, 21 and 25 whether they used cannabis. In

a typical year about 4 to 5 per cent said they used cannabis every day and

50 to 60 per cent said they never used it.

 

Professor Fergusson said daily users suffered a clear increase in

psychotic symptoms. They were between 1.6 and 1.8 times more likely to

experience symptoms such as hearing voices others couldn't hear, to suffer

paranoid thoughts and feel isolated from others. There were no differences

between males and females.

 

Professor Fergusson said about six major longitudinal studies had

reported a link between cannabis and psychotic symptoms but there had been

doubts about whether it could be due to other factors, such as use of other

drugs. Questions were also raised about whether people with psychotic

symptoms were more likely to use cannabis to start with.

 

The new study, to be published in the international journal Addiction,

had controlled for such factors and still found a clear association.

 

"These are not huge increases in risk and nor should they be because

cannabis is by no means the only thing that will determine if you suffer

these symptoms," he said.

 

Occasional cannabis smoking would not have any impact.

 

Professor Fergusson said debate around cannabis use had been polarised

into two camps - those who believed it caused terrible harm and those who

believed it was not harmful and should be legalised. "I think the truth lies

somewhere in the middle."

 

Ross Bell, executive director of the New Zealand Drug Foundation, said

the study reinforced the fact the issue was not black and white.

 

"This kind of research sends out a warning we need to take into

account the harm of cannabis."

 

Cannabis use and its impact on mental health had been widely discussed

as part of a health select committee inquiry in 2003.

 

United Future's support agreement with the Government rules out any

changes to the legal status of cannabis.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

One other possible explanation of the higher incidence of psychoses among pot smokers may be that such people are far more likely to live on the fringes of society, in part to hide their marijuana use. This obviously means that such people live with a great deal more anxiety, and feel estranged from society at large. It shouldn't surprise anyone the people living under such circumstances, would be a bit more likely to exhibit "abnormal" changes in their personalities. But it's preposterous to assume that the marijuana is causing these changes, and not the sometimes immense fear and anxiety that these people feel; the lonliness, the feeling that one is "abnormal."

 

JP

 

-

SHARON MCELROY

Thursday, March 24, 2005 4:41 PM

Re: Daily cannabis use linked to psychosis

 

 

 

 

Yeah right! Thought you could use a laugh...

 

----

 

 

Misty

03/24/05 00:28:04

Health and Healing; Armageddon or New Age

Daily cannabis use linked to psychosis

 

Daily cannabis use linked to psychosis

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1 & ObjectID=10113187

 

02.03.05

by Rebecca Walsh

 

 

 

People who use cannabis every day are nearly twice as likely to suffer

psychotic symptoms than non-users, an Otago University study has found.

 

The research, by Professor David Fergusson and colleagues at the

Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, is part of a

longitudinal study which has followed 1000 people for 25 years.

 

People were asked at ages 18, 21 and 25 whether they used cannabis. In

a typical year about 4 to 5 per cent said they used cannabis every day and

50 to 60 per cent said they never used it.

 

Professor Fergusson said daily users suffered a clear increase in

psychotic symptoms. They were between 1.6 and 1.8 times more likely to

experience symptoms such as hearing voices others couldn't hear, to suffer

paranoid thoughts and feel isolated from others. There were no differences

between males and females.

 

Professor Fergusson said about six major longitudinal studies had

reported a link between cannabis and psychotic symptoms but there had been

doubts about whether it could be due to other factors, such as use of other

drugs. Questions were also raised about whether people with psychotic

symptoms were more likely to use cannabis to start with.

 

The new study, to be published in the international journal Addiction,

had controlled for such factors and still found a clear association.

 

"These are not huge increases in risk and nor should they be because

cannabis is by no means the only thing that will determine if you suffer

these symptoms," he said.

 

Occasional cannabis smoking would not have any impact.

 

Professor Fergusson said debate around cannabis use had been polarised

into two camps - those who believed it caused terrible harm and those who

believed it was not harmful and should be legalised. "I think the truth lies

somewhere in the middle."

 

Ross Bell, executive director of the New Zealand Drug Foundation, said

the study reinforced the fact the issue was not black and white.

 

"This kind of research sends out a warning we need to take into

account the harm of cannabis."

 

Cannabis use and its impact on mental health had been widely discussed

as part of a health select committee inquiry in 2003.

 

United Future's support agreement with the Government rules out any

changes to the legal status of cannabis.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

or... the two coincide because they have the psychosis in the first place and smoking pot HELPs them be less stressed, more focused, and more able to deal with life than without it. the psychosis creates the need for the dope, the dope doesnt create the psychosis.

god created the herb cannabis for a reason just as surely as any other herbal remedy.

 

-

John Polifronio

Friday, March 25, 2005 2:23 AM

Re: Daily cannabis use linked to psychosis

 

One other possible explanation of the higher incidence of psychoses among pot smokers may be that such people are far more likely to live on the fringes of society, in part to hide their marijuana use. This obviously means that such people live with a great deal more anxiety, and feel estranged from society at large. It shouldn't surprise anyone the people living under such circumstances, would be a bit more likely to exhibit "abnormal" changes in their personalities. But it's preposterous to assume that the marijuana is causing these changes, and not the sometimes immense fear and anxiety that these people feel; the lonliness, the feeling that one is "abnormal."

 

JP

 

-

SHARON MCELROY

Thursday, March 24, 2005 4:41 PM

Re: Daily cannabis use linked to psychosis

 

 

 

 

Yeah right! Thought you could use a laugh...

 

----

 

 

Misty

03/24/05 00:28:04

Health and Healing; Armageddon or New Age

Daily cannabis use linked to psychosis

 

Daily cannabis use linked to psychosis

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1 & ObjectID=10113187

 

02.03.05

by Rebecca Walsh

 

 

 

People who use cannabis every day are nearly twice as likely to suffer

psychotic symptoms than non-users, an Otago University study has found.

 

The research, by Professor David Fergusson and colleagues at the

Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, is part of a

longitudinal study which has followed 1000 people for 25 years.

 

People were asked at ages 18, 21 and 25 whether they used cannabis. In

a typical year about 4 to 5 per cent said they used cannabis every day and

50 to 60 per cent said they never used it.

 

Professor Fergusson said daily users suffered a clear increase in

psychotic symptoms. They were between 1.6 and 1.8 times more likely to

experience symptoms such as hearing voices others couldn't hear, to suffer

paranoid thoughts and feel isolated from others. There were no differences

between males and females.

 

Professor Fergusson said about six major longitudinal studies had

reported a link between cannabis and psychotic symptoms but there had been

doubts about whether it could be due to other factors, such as use of other

drugs. Questions were also raised about whether people with psychotic

symptoms were more likely to use cannabis to start with.

 

The new study, to be published in the international journal Addiction,

had controlled for such factors and still found a clear association.

 

"These are not huge increases in risk and nor should they be because

cannabis is by no means the only thing that will determine if you suffer

these symptoms," he said.

 

Occasional cannabis smoking would not have any impact.

 

Professor Fergusson said debate around cannabis use had been polarised

into two camps - those who believed it caused terrible harm and those who

believed it was not harmful and should be legalised. "I think the truth lies

somewhere in the middle."

 

Ross Bell, executive director of the New Zealand Drug Foundation, said

the study reinforced the fact the issue was not black and white.

 

"This kind of research sends out a warning we need to take into

account the harm of cannabis."

 

Cannabis use and its impact on mental health had been widely discussed

as part of a health select committee inquiry in 2003.

 

United Future's support agreement with the Government rules out any

changes to the legal status of cannabis.