Latest Research On Pot and Schizophrenia Runs Contrary to

[Puffin13]

Latest Research On Pot and Schizophrenia Runs Contrary to Mainstream Media Hype
May 26th, 2010
By: Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director

The mainstream media loves to spill ink hyping the allegation that marijuana causes mental illness, particularly schizophrenia. In fact, it was in March when international media outlets declared that cannabis use ‘doubled’ one’s risk of developing the disease. Yet when research appears in scientific journals rebuking just this sort of ‘reefer madness,’ it generally goes unreported.

Such is the case with a pair of just-published studies slated to appear in the journal Schizophrenia Research. The first study, conducted by a team of researchers at various New York state hospitals, the Yale University School of Medicine, and the National Institutes of Mental Health assessed whether there exists a causal association between cannabis use and the age of onset of psychosis in patients hospitalized for the first time for an episode of schizophrenia.

Despite previous media claims to the contrary, researchers concluded:
“Although the onset of cannabis use disorder preceded the onset of illness in most patients, our findings suggest that age at onset of psychosis was not associated with cannabis use disorders. Previous studies implicating cannabis use disorders in schizophrenia may need to more comprehensively assess the relationship between cannabis use disorders and schizophrenia, and take into account the additional variables that we found associated with cannabis use disorders.”

A separate study slated for publication in the same journal assessed the cognitive skills of schizophrenic patients with a history of cannabis use compared to non-users. Authors reported that patients with a history of marijuana use “demonstrated significantly better performance on measures of processing speed, verbal fluency, and verbal learning and memory” compared to abstainers. Marijuana use was also associated with better overall GAF (Global Assessment of Functioning) scores compared to those of non-users.

Authors concluded: “The results of the present analysis suggest that (cannabis use) in patients with SZ (schizophrenia) is associated with better performance on measures of processing speed and verbal skills. These data are consistent with prior reports indicating that SZ patients with a history of CUD (cannabis use disorders) have less severe cognitive deficits than SZ patients without comorbid CUD. … The present findings also suggest that CUD in patients with SZ may not differentially affect the severity of illness as measured by clinical symptomatology.”

Both study’s findings are in line with previous (though virtually unreported) research indicating that marijuana is unlikely to instigate incidences of schizophrenia in the general population, that cannabis use among patients with the disease is associated with higher cognitive function, and that at least some schizophrenics find subjective relief from symptoms of the illness by using pot. Nonetheless, odds are the nobody from the mainstream media will be champing at the bit to report on them.

Bottom line: marijuana’s complex relationship with schizophrenia is far from understood, and likely won’t be for some time. But that doesn’t give the MSM a free pass to only promote one side of the story.

Source

[buddy]

thanks for another very informative report that the mainstream media is very unlikely to carry. i'm curious as to what is meant by CUD (cannabis use disorder). any idea?

[cant_think]

I think whilst its clear there is a relationship between cannabis use and schizophrenia - to say it's causal is absurd. Particularly as a study in the UK demonstrated that whilst Cannabis use and potency had gone up, rates of mental health issues had remained constant or gone down - The Keele Study is what it is commonly known as if anyone wants to look it up.

[Kingdoc]

I knew a guy with mental issues & he never smoked dope in his life,He said it did help him after he had tried it a few times thou,I think the govt has been giving us a whole lot of smoke & mirrors over the years frankly! they know full well this argument wont be fully proven one way or the other anytime soon but its something for them to grab onto! & thats all they need,They have been surveys/enquiries held in different countries over the years & they have all pretty much said the same! ie its inconclusive or the link is simply not proven,I think its like the "reefer madness" situation with the last generation or even the generation before,Ie we will spend the next 40 years arguing about this & it wont be proven one way or the other + nothing changes! & next time round they will say it gives you man boobs or something! oh wait they have already used that chestnut ,Theres way to much money & shares in the background them to give in! + it would be an admision they were wrong all these years & i cant see them swallowing that,Over & out .

[echc1]

some of us were crazy before we discovered cannabis.......if i drink(legal) i fight and have a generally aggressive nature.....but if i smoke the herb i'm a far more civilised person.....so i prefer to be medicated for the safety of others

[titus wong]

we, all of us, are grateful. carry on.