People who smoke herbal cannabis strain 'skunk' are 18 times more likely to develop psychosis than those using resinous 'hash', according to a study.
Super-strength drug skunk now comprises three quarters of the cannabis market in the UK, according to Home Office figures.
A study presented at the annual meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists looked at different types of cannabis, including skunk and hash, also called resin.
Psychiatrist Dr Marta Di Forti and colleagues compared cannabis use between 112 patients who had experienced their first psychotic episode, and 75 healthy people acting as controls.
Those with psychosis were twice as likely to have used cannabis for longer, three times more likely to have used it every day and 18 times more likely to use skunk than those who used hash.
Both groups of people were from south east London.
Skunk has higher concentrations of the active ingredient delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - which is linked to psychosis - than hash.
Dr Di Forti said: "Of those people coming to us with first episode psychosis, more than 80% had used skunk.
"Among those acting as controls, 76% had used hash.
"My message is that people who develop first episode psychosis are significantly more likely to use skunk than hash.
"It's like when you look at a bottle of vodka and a bottle of wine, the difference between the two apart from the taste is the percentage of alcohol in them.
"One is much stronger or potent than the other and it's exactly the same with cannabis."
Cannabis is currently class C but Home Secretary Jacqui Smith wants it to be reclassified to class B from early 2009.
The move from class C means the maximum prison sentence for possessing cannabis increases from two years to five years.
Cannabis was downgraded to class B in 2004 but the more widespread use of stronger skunk prompted a backlash.
Copied from Skynews UK website.
Latest on UK media: More Psychosis BS
One day someone is going to take all the scientific evidence that their is about Marihuana, and go and sue every news agency for defamation to the plant Marihuana. And the truth will come out, and everyone will see they have been lied to for years and Marihuana will return to it's rightful place in human evolution.
Maybe I shouldn't post when I'm stoned, I have such vivid idealistic dreams...
Maybe I shouldn't post when I'm stoned, I have such vivid idealistic dreams...