Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise

[JonDouglas]

From KITV4:

(CNN) -- The proportion of schizophrenia cases linked with problematic use of marijuana has increased over the past 25 years, according to a new study from Denmark. In 1995, 2% of schizophrenia diagnoses in the country were associated with cannabis use disorder. In 2000, it increased to around 4%. Since 2010, that figure increased to 8%, the study found.​

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"I think it is highly important to use both our study and other studies to highlight and emphasize that cannabis use is not harmless," said Carsten Hjorthøj, an associate professor at the Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health and an author of the study published in the medical journal JAMA Psychiatry, via email.​

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"There is, unfortunately, evidence to suggest that cannabis is increasingly seen as a somewhat harmless substance. This is unfortunate, since we see links with schizophrenia, poorer cognitive function, substance use disorders, etc," Hjorthøj wrote. - More at source.​

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Common sense might suggest that anything that alters you cognitive ability and sensory input might not be that good for you in the longer term.

 

[WhatInThe]

It's definately not the happy laugh all day drug in the old Cheech and Chong movies. I've seen it.

As with many drugs and/or intoxicating experience it will lower impulse control, most people put on an act of somekind when sober. When intoxicated the acting gets sloppy or ignored.

 

[MickaC]

Weed.....pot....marijuana.....cannabis.

Storytime.......my foster daughter and her partner are apparently regular users.
Her partner, has been using a form of it for some pain control, since about three years ago.
They both vape.

Not long ago maybe 2 and 3 years ago......they were always short on money.....helped them out some, and not all paid back.
The Sunday before last, was asked to come for a barbecue at the lake.
They went through about 4 joints while i was there, but not near the kids, though.....but someone was always with the kids.
They took pot turns.

We have a cannabis store here in our BIG LITTLE TOWN With 2500 population.
They don't buy here......apparently too expensive here......they drive an hour to buy some.

So i'm assuming they won't be calling on me for any financial help any more.
She showed me how much you get for $100, they buy hemp to roll the joints.

Life being young.......I DUNNO..................

 

[JonDouglas]

From KITV4:

(CNN) -- The proportion of schizophrenia cases linked with problematic use of marijuana has increased over the past 25 years, according to a new study from Denmark. In 1995, 2% of schizophrenia diagnoses in the country were associated with cannabis use disorder. In 2000, it increased to around 4%. Since 2010, that figure increased to 8%, the study found.​

​

"I think it is highly important to use both our study and other studies to highlight and emphasize that cannabis use is not harmless," said Carsten Hjorthøj, an associate professor at the Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health and an author of the study published in the medical journal JAMA Psychiatry, via email.​

​

"There is, unfortunately, evidence to suggest that cannabis is increasingly seen as a somewhat harmless substance. This is unfortunate, since we see links with schizophrenia, poorer cognitive function, substance use disorders, etc," Hjorthøj wrote. - More at source.​

​

Common sense might suggest that anything that alters you cognitive ability and sensory input might not be that good for you in the longer term.

Ran across this a few minutes ago: NIH Drug Abuse -What are marijuana's long-term effects on the brain? Measuring behavioral aspects of long term use is more difficult than, say, measuring IQ or brain scan factors.

 

[hollydolly]

Ran across this a few minutes ago: NIH Drug Abuse -What are marijuana's long-term effects on the brain? Measuring behavioral aspects of long term use is more difficult than, say, measuring IQ or brain scan factors.

I read and learned all that years ago... never been interested in using the drug or any illegal drug. Saw acquaintances use it, but not many, I just was never in a crowd who were interested in drugs..of any type.. the odd few pints at the weekend were about as far as any of our crowd were interested...

Nowadays people smoke Weed like it's their birth right

Can't speak for those who have to use Marijuana for medical issues.. if it helps with chronic pain, then I have no beef with that whatsoever..

 

[flowerchild]

Ran across this a few minutes ago: NIH Drug Abuse -What are marijuana's long-term effects on the brain? Measuring behavioral aspects of long term use is more difficult than, say, measuring IQ or brain scan factors.

And so why the hype on legalizing it?
marijuana’s negative effects on attention, memory, and learning

 

[flowerchild]

I read and learned all that years ago... never been interested in using the drug or any illegal drug. Saw acquaintances use it, but not many, I just was never in a crowd who were interested in drugs..of any type.. the odd few pints at the weekend were about as far as any of our crowd were interested...

Nowadays people smoke Weed like it's their birth right

Can't speak for those who have to use Marijuana for medical issues.. if it helps with chronic pain, then I have no beef with that whatsoever..

Those in chronic pain search for anything that may help alleviate it. Best to use something not so addictive. For awhile there I thought the doctors would all be dolling out OxyContin to just anyone who said they had pain. An addicted society. Not the best world I'd love to see.

 

[JonDouglas]

And so why the hype on legalizing it?
marijuana’s negative effects on attention, memory, and learning

I can think of three, interrelated reasons - money, drug cartels and crime. At the top of the rationale heap is the idea that not legalizing pot is like how prohibition indirectly promoted crime. By legalizing it, the idea is that money going to the drug cartels will instead go into the economy (a.k.a. government tax coffers) and help reduce crime. It can lso be argued that legalizing marijuana could actually be promoting crime in the longer term. The logic (or lack of it, depending on your view) is that legalization would lead to increased use of a gateway drug that would fuel increased use of more addictive drugs (e.g., heroin, cocaine, etc.) produced by the criminal cartels and gangs.

 

[JonDouglas]

Those in chronic pain search for anything that may help alleviate it. Best to use something not so addictive. For awhile there I thought the doctors would all be dolling out OxyContin to just anyone who said they had pain. An addicted society. Not the best world I'd love to see.

Pot use for real medical issues involving pain isn't really an issue, IMO.

 

[Shalimar]

I think I would be far more concerned with the well documented deleterious effects of alcohol use. Among other things, this legal drug can amplify anger in certain individuals, leading to outbursts of rage with often violent consequences. In extreme cases, psychosis induced murder. Also can contribute to or cause extreme suicidality in vulnerable individuals.

Then there are the health risks to a person’s body should one drink to excess. The science around weed’s alleged link to schizophrenia is incomplete and controversial. Many mental health professionals have reservations. I am certain weed has negative effects on some people, but I believe it is far safer than alcohol. Any

intoxicant will affect a person‘s performance in the short term. Heavy and prolonged use is likely to exacerbate that. Moderation is the key.

 

[JonDouglas]

I think I would be far more concerned with the well documented deleterious effects of alcohol use. Among other things, this legal drug can amplify anger in certain individuals, leading to outbursts of rage with often tragic consequences. Also can contribute to or cause extreme suicidality in vulnerable individuals. Booze can scramble a

person’s moods. Then there are the health risks to a person’s body should one drink to excess. The science around weed’s alleged link to schizophrenia is incomplete and controversial. Many mental health professionals have reservations. I am certain weed has negative effects on some people, but I believe it is far safer than alcohol. Any

intoxicant will affect a person‘s performance in the short term. Heavy and prolonged use is likely to exacerbate that. Moderation is the key.

I would only say the affects of alcohol on the brain and body are reasonably well known. As for pot, perhaps not so much. Historically, it can be said that beer, for example, was a good and beneficial substitute for bacteria-laden water. Not sure the same can be said about pot as a beneficial substitute for anything.

After re-reading the above paragraph and thinking about any comparison of pot with alcohol, especially beer, I remembered humorist Jean Shepherd (A Christmas Story) and his treatise on beer.

 

[WhatInThe]

And so why the hype on legalizing it?
marijuana’s negative effects on attention, memory, and learning

It became a political football used by pandering politicians.

That being said the pot lobby pushed hard and on social media/forums like this. Until a few years ago if there was a story on pot and/or legalization like clockwork potheads and paid posters would troll the comments sections. They marketed legalization like most other products.

 

[Alligatorob]

Interesting post and something worth following. It seems still too early to know how significant the effect is, but worth studying. Pet cats have also been linked to schizophrenia (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3035534/ ) but not strongly enough for most people to worry about much, or the government to step in and outlaw cats...

I favor legalization for a couple of reasons, first I don't like unnecessary government regulation and this seems to fit that. Also I think cutting off the huge income to cartels and other criminal enterprises would be well worth the risks (as we now know them). It is, of course, not realistic to think marijuana usage is risk free, but I believe the best role of the government is to inform us as to the risks and let us decide for ourselves what to do about them. Kind of like how we deal with alcohol and cigarettes now.

I smoked some years ago, in college, but not much recently. A couple of years ago I bought some legally in Oregon, tried it a couple of times but just didn't like it much. I prefer the occasional whisky. That probably increases the risk of mental illness as well. So my favoring legalization has nothing to do with my own use.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

The problem with these kinds of studies is which came first, the marijuana use, or the schizophrenia. There is the same correlation with alcohol and schizophrenia. Both alcohol and marijuana are used by schizophrenics to alleviate symptoms- self medication. Plus, in recent years, marijuana use has been legalized, and is more widespread, and less expensive. The fact that schizophrenics are using greater amounts of marijuana does not indicate marijuana causes schizophrenia., it only means that schizophrenics are using more marijuana. Again, self medication by using marijuana is well documented with schizophrenia. These studies have always been misinterpreted by anti-marijuana advocates, as to the long term effects. There may very well be long tern side effects from using marijuana, but this study does not indicate schizophrenia is one of them.

 

[Alligatorob]

Most everything we do, eat, or breath has some unwanted side effects. Its just life. What we need to know is how much risk do these things entail. Then we can make more intelligent decisions.

For example before refined sugar was generally available people used lead, lead acetate, as a sweetener. Only after discovering the negative side effects (and the emergence of refined sugar) did people stop. Still today this is the reason kids lick old lead painted walls, it tastes good. Edible or easily edible lead is one of the things I do think the government needs to control, it has proven too easy for young children who can't make a logical conscious decision to consume in hazardous quantities. I'd try it just once to see what it was the Roman's liked about it, but can't seem to find any at Walmart, LOL.

Anyway as I said the connect of schizophrenia to environmental exposures is something worthy of study. There is some evidence that schizophrenia is increasing and rates vary from country to county suggesting a possible environmental exposure link. Figuring out these connections could help reduce the overall rate. But as with the cited studies we need to be careful not to overthink the result of any one of them.

 

[AnnieA]

Excerpt from Medscape - (need an email account)

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/955287#vp_2

"A study weakness that readers will spot right away is that the study reported on patients who had a clinical diagnosis of cannabis dependence. However, most cannabis users, even those who are dependent on it, never come in to clinics for treatment. Also, it is known that people who seek treatment tend to have multiple mental health problems, not solely cannabis problems,"​

Most people I know who've used through the years wouldn't meet criteria for dependence ...think that's probably pretty rare. (But since even a whiff of the smell gives me a migraine, my real-life observations are limited!) Not covered in the OP study is whether the cannabis dependency is caused by people with schizophrenia who are self-medicating with cannabis. The whole chicken and egg thing... There very well may be causality but more studies selecting for different variables are needed to give a full clinical picture.

A variable I'd like to see more research on is age of first use. We already know there's harm to younger brains from THC and that schizophrenia onset usually manifests at late adolescence/early adulthood. It could be that THC is a trigger for teens genetically predisposed to schizophrenia, but teasing apart genetics and substance use won't be easy for researchers.

 

[Don M.]

I think relaxing the rules on using MJ is similar to ending the rules against alcohol during the days of Prohibition. The Mafia got rich during Prohibition, just as the drug gangs are reaping billions off illegal drugs. This decision to allow MJ is going to create problems similar to alcoholism. Any of these things can create addictions that are harmful to a persons health...both physically, AND mentally. What's next....making heroin legal???

Unfortunately, there are millions of people who chose to cover up their problems with these substances, rather than being given the help they most certainly need.

 

[AnnieA]

I think relaxing the rules on using MJ is similar to ending the rules against alcohol during the days of Prohibition. The Mafia got rich during Prohibition, just as the drug gangs are reaping billions off illegal drugs. This decision to allow MJ is going to create problems similar to alcoholism. Any of these things can create addictions that are harmful to a persons health...both physically, AND mentally. What's next....making heroin legal???

Consistent overuse of alcohol causes physical dependency even without psychological predisposition to addiction that results in severe (even life-threatening) physiological withdrawal symptoms. While someone psychologically addicted to THC might not be at all a happy person stopping abruptly, they don't suffer comparable physiological withdrawal symptoms to that of alcohol dependency withdrawal.

 

[Alligatorob]

What's next....making heroin legal???

I think probably so, Oregon already has, though there are still federal laws against it that apply in Oregon. The addiction problem exists even where and when a drug is illegal I think there is lots of evidence to support that. Though our war on drugs had good intentions it just hasn't worked.

Switzerland has an interesting approach to heroin https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2019/01/28/switzerland-fights-heroin-with-heroin/

 

[AnnieA]

What's next....making heroin legal???

The more I think about it, the more I think we should legalize everything and give it away for free with the hopes that natural selection will decrease dependency genes for future generations. Go Darwin.

 

[AnnieA]

I think probably so, Oregon already has, though there are still federal laws against it that apply in Oregon. The addiction problem exists even where and when a drug is illegal I think there is lots of evidence to support that. Though our war on drugs had good intentions it just hasn't worked.

Switzerland has an interesting approach to heroin https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2019/01/28/switzerland-fights-heroin-with-heroin/

Very interesting. Thank you!

 

[Mr. Ed]

I have schizoaffective disorder, had a terrible experience using marijuana in the 1970s. A couple of months ago I got a medical marijuana card and used marijuana to see how it affected me. For certain, without question I cannot use marijuana as it affects my mind.
Now I know. It's funny, marijuana dispensaries are constantly contacting me to purchase marijuana. Ironically, the marijuana industry sales agenda depicts marijuana as a healthy alternative treatment for almost everything. A good natural remedy for whatever ails you. This is not true.

 

[Alligatorob]

I have schizoaffective disorder, had a terrible experience using marijuana in the 1970s. A couple of months ago I got a medical marijuana card and used marijuana to see how it affected me. For certain, without question I cannot use marijuana as it affects my mind.

Thanks for you post and your openness. Very interesting.

Do you believe the marijuana caused your schizophrenia or aggravated it?

 

[WhatInThe]

.......
Now I know. It's funny, marijuana dispensaries are constantly contacting me to purchase marijuana. Ironically, the marijuana industry sales agenda depicts marijuana as a healthy alternative treatment for almost everything. A good natural remedy for whatever ails you. This is not true.

That's basically how the pot lobby got it legalized. They marketed legalization in part by marketing the alternate uses/benefits of it. They focused on the purported positives of their product.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

These days one never knows what's in the marijuana they get in the streets. I've heard stories about it being laced with some wicked stuff, some of which turned out to be deadly. i'm told put even smells different than it used to.