Just when you thought the Lefty Liberals couldn't get any nuttier, the newest phenomena appears: the 9/11 conspiracy theorists. Keeping in theme with the idea that left-wingers have some special form of enlightenment and insight on how the world really works, they can't accept the theory that 9/11 was caused by Islamic terrorists or the the WTC towers collapsed because they were hit by passenger jets at full throttle with maximum fuel loads. Instead, they weave intricate yet far-reaching theories involving (but not limited to) Bush, Cheney, Halliburton, Karl Rove, the Mossad, the Masons, the Cub Scouts, and Bert of Sesame Street. Of course, anyone who dares question these theories is labeled a government operative or a stooge of the corporate/Republican/Zionist cabal that channels brain waves into the microchips planted in them by the NSA (they know this for a fact because of the time they woke up in a bathtub full of ice with a note stapled to their forehead).
One wonders how the left gets loopier all the time, and looks for an explanation - but maybe it's so simple and straightforward that it's "hidden in plain view"? Many of the most rabid leftists who are prominent in political circles are middle-to-late ear Baby Boomers who came of age in the late 1960's and early 1970's: a time when recreational use of narcotics was not only acceptable but fashionable. In fact, one drug more than all the rest not only became widely abused, but became a symbol of the 1960's "conterculture" - and that was marijuana. Many leftists, especially those in areas with especially severe hippie infestations such as San Francisco and Berkeley, made pot a symbol of their philosophy and lifestyle - in essence, t their raison d'etre.
For many years, potheads and their apologists downplayed the danger of marijuana, insisting that the only side effects were ceasing to be "uptight" and developing on occasional bad case of the munchies. As time went by, more concerns were raised, including the noticeable lack of motivation among chronic users, the development of breast tissue in male users due to the increased formation of estrogen, and even male lactation in severe circumstances, in addition to the observation that pot inhibited physical coordination and caused mental dullness (i.e. "that's why they call it dope"). However, research in the last few years has exposed the existence of what is referred to as "cannabis psychosis", a phenomena which reveals a correlation between heavy use of marijuana as an adolescent and manifestations of schizophrenia later in life. Given that many prominent and influential Lefty Liberals can trace the formation of their political world view back to their hippy-dippy doper days, it's very likely that the paranoid hysteria over 9/11, and the refusal to accept the clear evidence, may indeed by manifestations of cannabis-induced psychosis...
============================================================================ =================== CANNABIS PSYCHOSIS - There are suggestions that in a small number of cases Cannabis is capable of precipitating psychosis, going on to the chronic picture described below, in people who have had no family and personal history of psychiatric illness.There have been suggestions that such people may be the ones who have started Cannabis in their teens and caused disturbance to neural connectivity. However, it seems Cannabis can precipitate or exacerbate a schizophrenic tendency in a characteristic manner. http://www.priory.com/psych/cannabis.htm Cannabis Use and Psychosis Wayne Hall
National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (Funded by the National Drugs Strategy) The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
SUMMARY
This report reviews evidence on two hypotheses about the relationship between cannabis use and psychosis. The first hypothesis is that heavy cannabis use may cause a "cannabis psychosis" - a psychosis that would not occur in the absence of cannabis use, the symptoms of which are preceded by heavy cannabis use and remit after abstinence. The second hypothesis is that cannabis use may precipitate schizophrenia, or exacerbate its symptoms.
Evaluation of these hypotheses requires evidence of an association between cannabis use and psychosis, that is unlikely to be due to chance, in which cannabis use precedes psychosis, and in which we can exclude the hypothesis that the relationship is due to other factors, such as, other drug use, or a personal vulnerability to psychosis.
There is some clinical support for the first hypothesis. If these disorders exist they seem to be rare, because they require very high doses of THC, the prolonged use of highly potent forms of cannabis, or a pre-existing (but as yet unspecified) vulnerability. There is more support for the second hypothesis in that a large prospective study has shown a linear relationship between the frequency with which cannabis had been used by age 18 and the risks over the subsequent 15 years of a diagnosis of schizophrenia. It is still unclear whether this means that cannabis use precipitates schizophrenia, whether it is a form of "self-medication", or whether the association is due to the use of other drugs, such as amphetamines, which heavy cannabis users are more likely to use. There is better evidence that cannabis use can exacerbate the symptoms of schizophrenia. Mental health services should identify patients with schizophrenia who use alcohol, cannabis and other drugs and advise them to abstain or to greatly reduce their drug use.
http://www.ukcia.org/research/can-psychosis.htm
CANNABIS PSYCHOSIS What is cannabis? Cannabis refers to the products of the cannabis sativa plant, also known as marijuana and hashish (depending on which part of the plant is used). Cannabis is widely available for use as a recreational drug. It is commonly taken by mixing with tobacco and smoking as a hand-rolled joint, or by inhaling through a water-cooled pipe called a bong. It may also be cooked in food and eaten.
How many people use cannabis? Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug. A recent study indicated that about 30 per cent of the total population had tried cannabis at some time. Among people under 35 years of age, about 50 per cent had tried it at some time, and 28 per cent had used it in the past year.
How does cannabis affect the brain? Cannabis contains a chemical known as THC for short. THC is a psychoactive substance. This means it travels through the bloodstream to the brain, disrupting its usual functioning and causing certain intoxicating effects. Some of these effects can be pleasant; some are unpleasant. Most of these effects are short-term; some can be long-term.
What are the effects of cannabis? Common effects include a feeling of relaxation and well-being; loss of inhibition; increased talkativeness; confused perception of space and time; sedation; and reduced ability to concentrate and remember. Other effects (more common with heavy use) include paranoia, confusion and increased anxiety. With heavy use there may also be hallucinations.
How long do the effects last? The effects begin within minutes and can last for up to several hours. For people with a psychotic illness, or who have a predisposition to such an illness, the effects can be more serious and long-term. Psychotic illnesses are characterised by symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations and thought disorder. When people experience psychotic symptoms, they are unable to distinguish what is real -there is a loss of contact with reality.
Does cannabis cause psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia? Use of cannabis can cause a condition called drug-induced psychosis. This usually passes after a few days. However, if someone has a predisposition to a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, these drugs may precipitate the first episode in what can be a lifelong, disabling condition.
How does cannabis affect someone who has a psychotic illness? Cannabis generally makes psychotic symptoms worse and lowers the chances of recovery from a psychotic episode. People with a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia who use such drugs experience more hallucinations, delusions and other symptoms; they have a higher rate of hospitalisation for psychosis and treatment is generally less effective.
So should people with a psychotic illness avoid drugs such as cannabis? Yes. The consequences can be so serious for the person's health that it is best to avoid drugs such as cannabis completely. It can be helpful to look at other, healthier ways of relaxing and socialising as an alternative.
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2343
Studies link psychosis, teenage marijuana use Some adolescents carry genetic risk By Carey Goldberg, Globe Staff | January 26, 2006
Researchers are offering new ammunition to worried parents trying to dissuade their teens from smoking marijuana: Evidence is mounting that for some adolescents whose genes put them at added risk, heavy marijuana use could increase the chances of developing severe mental illness -- psychosis or schizophrenia.
This week, the marijuana-psychosis link gained ground when two major medical journals reviewed the research to date and concluded that it was persuasive. In PLOS Medicine, an Australian public health policy specialist wrote that genetically vulnerable teens who smoke marijuana more than once a week ''appear at greater risk of psychosis," while the British medical journal BMJ cited estimates that marijuana use could contribute to about 10 percent of cases of psychosis. The new research has little hint of ''Reefer Madness" alarmism. Rather, a half-dozen long, careful studies published in the last several years have tried to determine whether marijuana-smoking is a cause rather than an effect of mental illness. And groundbreaking research has begun to try to pinpoint which genes and brain chemicals could do the damage.
The conclusions remain controversial, in part because it would be unethical to randomly assign teens to smoke or not smoke marijuana -- which would be necessary to perform a gold-standard study to definitively show that adolescent marijuana use causes mental illness. It could be the other way around, or some other factor could put teens at risk of both.
But the recent research has attempted to get around these hurdles by controlling for factors such as the presence of psychosis before the use of marijuana, family income, education, other drug use, and childhood traumas.
''No single study is perfect," Wayne Hall, author of the PLOS Medicine essay and a professor at the University of Queensland, said in an e-mail interview. ''But the fact that so many individually imperfect studies so consistently find this relationship adds confidence to the conclusion that the relationship is causal."
The recent research points to adolescence as a particularly risky time to smoke marijuana heavily for those genetically predisposed to mental illness. Brain scientists theorize that marijuana may induce temporary changes in brain chemistry that, when reinforced over time, become permanent.
"Stan de SD" <standesd_DIGA_NO_A_SPAM@covad.net> wrote in message news:76e3e$4521890e$45035f0d$10698@msgid.meganewsservers.com... > Just when you thought the Lefty Liberals couldn't get any nuttier, the > newest phenomena appears: the 9/11 conspiracy theorists. Keeping in theme > with the idea that left-wingers have some special form of enlightenment and > insight on how the world really works, they can't accept the theory that > 9/11 was caused by Islamic terrorists or the the WTC towers collapsed > because they were hit by passenger jets at full throttle with maximum fuel > loads. Instead, they weave intricate yet far-reaching theories involving > (but not limited to) Bush, Cheney, Halliburton, Karl Rove, the Mossad, the > Masons, the Cub Scouts, and Bert of Sesame Street. Of course, anyone who > dares question these theories is labeled a government operative or a stooge > of the corporate/Republican/Zionist cabal that channels brain waves into the > microchips planted in them by the NSA (they know this for a fact because of > the time they woke up in a bathtub full of ice with a note stapled to their > forehead). > > One wonders how the left gets loopier all the time, and looks for an > explanation - but maybe it's so simple and straightforward that it's "hidden > in plain view"? Many of the most rabid leftists who are prominent in > political circles are middle-to-late ear Baby Boomers who came of age in the > late 1960's and early 1970's: a time when recreational use of narcotics was > not only acceptable but fashionable. In fact, one drug more than all the > rest not only became widely abused, but became a symbol of the 1960's > "conterculture" - and that was marijuana. Many leftists, especially those > in areas with especially severe hippie infestations such as San Francisco > and Berkeley, made pot a symbol of their philosophy and lifestyle - in > essence, t > their raison d'etre. > > For many years, potheads and their apologists downplayed the danger of > marijuana, insisting that the only side effects were ceasing to be "uptight" > and developing on occasional bad case of the munchies. As time went by, more > concerns were raised, including the noticeable lack of motivation among > chronic users, the development of breast tissue in male users due to the > increased formation of estrogen, and even male lactation in severe > circumstances, in addition to the observation that pot inhibited physical > coordination and caused mental dullness (i.e. "that's why they call it > dope"). However, research in the last few years has exposed the existence of > what is referred to as "cannabis psychosis", a phenomena which reveals a > correlation between heavy use of marijuana as an adolescent and > manifestations of schizophrenia later in life. Given that many prominent and > influential Lefty Liberals can trace the formation of their political world > view back to their hippy-dippy doper days, it's very likely that the > paranoid hysteria over 9/11, and the refusal to accept the clear evidence, > may indeed by manifestations of cannabis-induced psychosis... > > ============================================================================ > =================== > CANNABIS PSYCHOSIS - There are suggestions that in a small number of cases > Cannabis is capable of precipitating psychosis, going on to the chronic > picture described below, in people who have had no family and personal > history of psychiatric illness.There have been suggestions that such people > may be the ones who have started Cannabis in their teens and caused > disturbance to neural connectivity. However, it seems Cannabis can > precipitate or exacerbate a schizophrenic tendency in a characteristic > manner. http://www.priory.com/psych/cannabis.htm > Cannabis Use and Psychosis > Wayne Hall > > National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre > (Funded by the National Drugs Strategy) > The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia > > SUMMARY > > This report reviews evidence on two hypotheses about the relationship > between cannabis use and psychosis. The first hypothesis is that heavy > cannabis use may cause a "cannabis psychosis" - a psychosis that would not > occur in the absence of cannabis use, the symptoms of which are preceded by > heavy cannabis use and remit after abstinence. The second hypothesis is that > cannabis use may precipitate schizophrenia, or exacerbate its symptoms. > > Evaluation of these hypotheses requires evidence of an association between > cannabis use and psychosis, that is unlikely to be due to chance, in which > cannabis use precedes psychosis, and in which we can exclude the hypothesis > that the relationship is due to other factors, such as, other drug use, or a > personal vulnerability to psychosis. > > There is some clinical support for the first hypothesis. If these disorders > exist they seem to be rare, because they require very high doses of THC, the > prolonged use of highly potent forms of cannabis, or a pre-existing (but as > yet unspecified) vulnerability. There is more support for the second > hypothesis in that a large prospective study has shown a linear relationship > between the frequency with which cannabis had been used by age 18 and the > risks over the subsequent 15 years of a diagnosis of schizophrenia. It is > still unclear whether this means that cannabis use precipitates > schizophrenia, whether it is a form of "self-medication", or whether the > association is due to the use of other drugs, such as amphetamines, which > heavy cannabis users are more likely to use. There is better evidence that > cannabis use can exacerbate the symptoms of schizophrenia. Mental health > services should identify patients with schizophrenia who use alcohol, > cannabis and other drugs and advise them to abstain or to greatly reduce > their drug use. > > http://www.ukcia.org/research/can-psychosis.htm > > CANNABIS PSYCHOSIS > What is cannabis? > Cannabis refers to the products of the cannabis sativa plant, also known as > marijuana and hashish (depending on which part of the plant is used). > Cannabis is widely available for use as a recreational drug. It is commonly > taken by mixing with tobacco and smoking as a hand-rolled joint, or by > inhaling through a water-cooled pipe called a bong. It may also be cooked in > food and eaten. > > How many people use cannabis? > Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug. A recent study indicated that > about 30 per cent of the total population had tried cannabis at some time. > Among people under 35 years of age, about 50 per cent had tried it at some > time, and 28 per cent had used it in the past year. > > How does cannabis affect the brain? > Cannabis contains a chemical known as THC for short. THC is a psychoactive > substance. This means it travels through the bloodstream to the brain, > disrupting its usual functioning and causing certain intoxicating effects. > Some of these effects can be pleasant; some are unpleasant. Most of these > effects are short-term; some can be long-term. > > What are the effects of cannabis? > Common effects include a feeling of relaxation and well-being; loss of > inhibition; increased talkativeness; confused perception of space and time; > sedation; and reduced ability to concentrate and remember. Other effects > (more common with heavy use) include paranoia, confusion and increased > anxiety. With heavy use there may also be hallucinations. > > How long do the effects last? > The effects begin within minutes and can last for up to several hours. For > people with a psychotic illness, or who have a predisposition to such an > illness, the effects can be more serious and long-term. Psychotic illnesses > are characterised by symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations and thought > disorder. When people experience psychotic symptoms, they are unable to > distinguish what is real -there is a loss of contact with reality. > > Does cannabis cause psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia? > Use of cannabis can cause a condition called drug-induced psychosis. This > usually passes after a few days. However, if someone has a predisposition to > a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, these drugs may precipitate the > first episode in what can be a lifelong, disabling condition. > > How does cannabis affect someone who has a psychotic illness? > Cannabis generally makes psychotic symptoms worse and lowers the chances of > recovery from a psychotic episode. People with a psychotic illness such as > schizophrenia who use such drugs experience more hallucinations, delusions > and other symptoms; they have a higher rate of hospitalisation for psychosis > and treatment is generally less effective. > > So should people with a psychotic illness avoid drugs such as cannabis? > Yes. The consequences can be so serious for the person's health that it is > best to avoid drugs such as cannabis completely. It can be helpful to look > at other, healthier ways of relaxing and socialising as an alternative. > > http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2343 > > Studies link psychosis, teenage marijuana use > Some adolescents carry genetic risk > By Carey Goldberg, Globe Staff | January 26, 2006 > > Researchers are offering new ammunition to worried parents trying to > dissuade their teens from smoking marijuana: Evidence is mounting that for > some adolescents whose genes put them at added risk, heavy marijuana use > could increase the chances of developing severe mental illness -- psychosis > or schizophrenia. > > This week, the marijuana-psychosis link gained ground when two major medical > journals reviewed the research to date and concluded that it was persuasive. > In PLOS Medicine, an Australian public health policy specialist wrote that > genetically vulnerable teens who smoke marijuana more than once a week > ''appear at greater risk of psychosis," while the British medical journal > BMJ cited estimates that marijuana use could contribute to about 10 percent > of cases of psychosis. > The new research has little hint of ''Reefer Madness" alarmism. Rather, a > half-dozen long, careful studies published in the last several years have > tried to determine whether marijuana-smoking is a cause rather than an > effect of mental illness. And groundbreaking research has begun to try to > pinpoint which genes and brain chemicals could do the damage. > > The conclusions remain controversial, in part because it would be unethical > to randomly assign teens to smoke or not smoke marijuana -- which would be > necessary to perform a gold-standard study to definitively show that > adolescent marijuana use causes mental illness. It could be the other way > around, or some other factor could put teens at risk of both. > > But the recent research has attempted to get around these hurdles by > controlling for factors such as the presence of psychosis before the use of > marijuana, family income, education, other drug use, and childhood traumas. > > ''No single study is perfect," Wayne Hall, author of the PLOS Medicine essay > and a professor at the University of Queensland, said in an e-mail > interview. ''But the fact that so many individually imperfect studies so > consistently find this relationship adds confidence to the conclusion that > the relationship is causal." > > The recent research points to adolescence as a particularly risky time to > smoke marijuana heavily for those genetically predisposed to mental illness. > Brain scientists theorize that marijuana may induce temporary changes in > brain chemistry that, when reinforced over time, become permanent. > > http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/01/26/studies_link_psychosis_teenage_marijuana_use/ > > > > >
C. Pangus
2006-10-02 18:11:30 EST
If you want to know why our government is so full of rightards read below to see how entire multi-generational segments of US population has been socially marginalized and excluded from government and corporate participation by B.S. fables and fantasies such as those below.
The truth is that the hippies saw peace and self-control as wiser than imperialism and war leading to our withdrawing from VietNam. The war-hawk rightards have been persecuting them ever since.
"Stan de SD" <standesd_DIGA_NO_A_SPAM@covad.net> wrote in message news:76e3e$4521890e$45035f0d$10698@msgid.meganewsservers.com... > Just when you thought the Lefty Liberals couldn't get any nuttier, the > newest phenomena appears: the 9/11 conspiracy theorists. Keeping in theme > with the idea that left-wingers have some special form of enlightenment > and > insight on how the world really works, they can't accept the theory that > 9/11 was caused by Islamic terrorists or the the WTC towers collapsed > because they were hit by passenger jets at full throttle with maximum fuel > loads. Instead, they weave intricate yet far-reaching theories involving > (but not limited to) Bush, Cheney, Halliburton, Karl Rove, the Mossad, the > Masons, the Cub Scouts, and Bert of Sesame Street. Of course, anyone who > dares question these theories is labeled a government operative or a > stooge > of the corporate/Republican/Zionist cabal that channels brain waves into > the > microchips planted in them by the NSA (they know this for a fact because > of > the time they woke up in a bathtub full of ice with a note stapled to > their > forehead). > > One wonders how the left gets loopier all the time, and looks for an > explanation - but maybe it's so simple and straightforward that it's > "hidden > in plain view"? Many of the most rabid leftists who are prominent in > political circles are middle-to-late ear Baby Boomers who came of age in > the > late 1960's and early 1970's: a time when recreational use of narcotics > was > not only acceptable but fashionable. In fact, one drug more than all the > rest not only became widely abused, but became a symbol of the 1960's > "conterculture" - and that was marijuana. Many leftists, especially those > in areas with especially severe hippie infestations such as San Francisco > and Berkeley, made pot a symbol of their philosophy and lifestyle - in > essence, t > their raison d'etre. > > For many years, potheads and their apologists downplayed the danger of > marijuana, insisting that the only side effects were ceasing to be > "uptight" > and developing on occasional bad case of the munchies. As time went by, > more > concerns were raised, including the noticeable lack of motivation among > chronic users, the development of breast tissue in male users due to the > increased formation of estrogen, and even male lactation in severe > circumstances, in addition to the observation that pot inhibited physical > coordination and caused mental dullness (i.e. "that's why they call it > dope"). However, research in the last few years has exposed the existence > of > what is referred to as "cannabis psychosis", a phenomena which reveals a > correlation between heavy use of marijuana as an adolescent and > manifestations of schizophrenia later in life. Given that many prominent > and > influential Lefty Liberals can trace the formation of their political > world > view back to their hippy-dippy doper days, it's very likely that the > paranoid hysteria over 9/11, and the refusal to accept the clear evidence, > may indeed by manifestations of cannabis-induced psychosis... > > ============================================================================ > =================== > CANNABIS PSYCHOSIS - There are suggestions that in a small number of cases > Cannabis is capable of precipitating psychosis, going on to the chronic > picture described below, in people who have had no family and personal > history of psychiatric illness.There have been suggestions that such > people > may be the ones who have started Cannabis in their teens and caused > disturbance to neural connectivity. However, it seems Cannabis can > precipitate or exacerbate a schizophrenic tendency in a characteristic > manner. http://www.priory.com/psych/cannabis.htm > Cannabis Use and Psychosis > Wayne Hall > > National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre > (Funded by the National Drugs Strategy) > The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia > > SUMMARY > > This report reviews evidence on two hypotheses about the relationship > between cannabis use and psychosis. The first hypothesis is that heavy > cannabis use may cause a "cannabis psychosis" - a psychosis that would not > occur in the absence of cannabis use, the symptoms of which are preceded > by > heavy cannabis use and remit after abstinence. The second hypothesis is > that > cannabis use may precipitate schizophrenia, or exacerbate its symptoms. > > Evaluation of these hypotheses requires evidence of an association between > cannabis use and psychosis, that is unlikely to be due to chance, in which > cannabis use precedes psychosis, and in which we can exclude the > hypothesis > that the relationship is due to other factors, such as, other drug use, or > a > personal vulnerability to psychosis. > > There is some clinical support for the first hypothesis. If these > disorders > exist they seem to be rare, because they require very high doses of THC, > the > prolonged use of highly potent forms of cannabis, or a pre-existing (but > as > yet unspecified) vulnerability. There is more support for the second > hypothesis in that a large prospective study has shown a linear > relationship > between the frequency with which cannabis had been used by age 18 and the > risks over the subsequent 15 years of a diagnosis of schizophrenia. It is > still unclear whether this means that cannabis use precipitates > schizophrenia, whether it is a form of "self-medication", or whether the > association is due to the use of other drugs, such as amphetamines, which > heavy cannabis users are more likely to use. There is better evidence that > cannabis use can exacerbate the symptoms of schizophrenia. Mental health > services should identify patients with schizophrenia who use alcohol, > cannabis and other drugs and advise them to abstain or to greatly reduce > their drug use. > > http://www.ukcia.org/research/can-psychosis.htm > > CANNABIS PSYCHOSIS > What is cannabis? > Cannabis refers to the products of the cannabis sativa plant, also known > as > marijuana and hashish (depending on which part of the plant is used). > Cannabis is widely available for use as a recreational drug. It is > commonly > taken by mixing with tobacco and smoking as a hand-rolled joint, or by > inhaling through a water-cooled pipe called a bong. It may also be cooked > in > food and eaten. > > How many people use cannabis? > Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug. A recent study indicated > that > about 30 per cent of the total population had tried cannabis at some time. > Among people under 35 years of age, about 50 per cent had tried it at some > time, and 28 per cent had used it in the past year. > > How does cannabis affect the brain? > Cannabis contains a chemical known as THC for short. THC is a psychoactive > substance. This means it travels through the bloodstream to the brain, > disrupting its usual functioning and causing certain intoxicating effects. > Some of these effects can be pleasant; some are unpleasant. Most of these > effects are short-term; some can be long-term. > > What are the effects of cannabis? > Common effects include a feeling of relaxation and well-being; loss of > inhibition; increased talkativeness; confused perception of space and > time; > sedation; and reduced ability to concentrate and remember. Other effects > (more common with heavy use) include paranoia, confusion and increased > anxiety. With heavy use there may also be hallucinations. > > How long do the effects last? > The effects begin within minutes and can last for up to several hours. For > people with a psychotic illness, or who have a predisposition to such an > illness, the effects can be more serious and long-term. Psychotic > illnesses > are characterised by symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations and > thought > disorder. When people experience psychotic symptoms, they are unable to > distinguish what is real -there is a loss of contact with reality. > > Does cannabis cause psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia? > Use of cannabis can cause a condition called drug-induced psychosis. This > usually passes after a few days. However, if someone has a predisposition > to > a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, these drugs may precipitate the > first episode in what can be a lifelong, disabling condition. > > How does cannabis affect someone who has a psychotic illness? > Cannabis generally makes psychotic symptoms worse and lowers the chances > of > recovery from a psychotic episode. People with a psychotic illness such as > schizophrenia who use such drugs experience more hallucinations, delusions > and other symptoms; they have a higher rate of hospitalisation for > psychosis > and treatment is generally less effective. > > So should people with a psychotic illness avoid drugs such as cannabis? > Yes. The consequences can be so serious for the person's health that it is > best to avoid drugs such as cannabis completely. It can be helpful to look > at other, healthier ways of relaxing and socialising as an alternative. > > http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2343 > > Studies link psychosis, teenage marijuana use > Some adolescents carry genetic risk > By Carey Goldberg, Globe Staff | January 26, 2006 > > Researchers are offering new ammunition to worried parents trying to > dissuade their teens from smoking marijuana: Evidence is mounting that for > some adolescents whose genes put them at added risk, heavy marijuana use > could increase the chances of developing severe mental illness -- > psychosis > or schizophrenia. > > This week, the marijuana-psychosis link gained ground when two major > medical > journals reviewed the research to date and concluded that it was > persuasive. > In PLOS Medicine, an Australian public health policy specialist wrote that > genetically vulnerable teens who smoke marijuana more than once a week > ''appear at greater risk of psychosis," while the British medical journal > BMJ cited estimates that marijuana use could contribute to about 10 > percent > of cases of psychosis. > The new research has little hint of ''Reefer Madness" alarmism. Rather, a > half-dozen long, careful studies published in the last several years have > tried to determine whether marijuana-smoking is a cause rather than an > effect of mental illness. And groundbreaking research has begun to try to > pinpoint which genes and brain chemicals could do the damage. > > The conclusions remain controversial, in part because it would be > unethical > to randomly assign teens to smoke or not smoke marijuana -- which would be > necessary to perform a gold-standard study to definitively show that > adolescent marijuana use causes mental illness. It could be the other way > around, or some other factor could put teens at risk of both. > > But the recent research has attempted to get around these hurdles by > controlling for factors such as the presence of psychosis before the use > of > marijuana, family income, education, other drug use, and childhood > traumas. > > ''No single study is perfect," Wayne Hall, author of the PLOS Medicine > essay > and a professor at the University of Queensland, said in an e-mail > interview. ''But the fact that so many individually imperfect studies so > consistently find this relationship adds confidence to the conclusion that > the relationship is causal." > > The recent research points to adolescence as a particularly risky time to > smoke marijuana heavily for those genetically predisposed to mental > illness. > Brain scientists theorize that marijuana may induce temporary changes in > brain chemistry that, when reinforced over time, become permanent. > > http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/01/26/studies_link_psychosis_teenage_marijuana_use/ > > > > >
Stan De SD
2006-10-02 18:15:40 EST
"C. Pangus" <craigpangus@sprintmail.com> wrote in message news:m8gUg.9226$UG4.9191@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net... > If you want to know why our government is so full of rightards read below to > see how entire multi-generational segments of US population has been > socially marginalized and excluded from government and corporate > participation by B.S. fables and fantasies such as those below. > > The truth is that the hippies saw peace and self-control as wiser than > imperialism and war leading to our withdrawing from VietNam. The war-hawk > rightards have been persecuting them ever since.
Hey, Pangus, I didn't mean to take you away from your bong session... :Oo
> "Stan de SD" <standesd_DIGA_NO_A_SPAM@covad.net> wrote in message > news:76e3e$4521890e$45035f0d$10698@msgid.meganewsservers.com... > > Just when you thought the Lefty Liberals couldn't get any nuttier, the > > newest phenomena appears: the 9/11 conspiracy theorists. Keeping in theme > > with the idea that left-wingers have some special form of enlightenment > > and > > insight on how the world really works, they can't accept the theory that > > 9/11 was caused by Islamic terrorists or the the WTC towers collapsed > > because they were hit by passenger jets at full throttle with maximum fuel > > loads. Instead, they weave intricate yet far-reaching theories involving > > (but not limited to) Bush, Cheney, Halliburton, Karl Rove, the Mossad, the > > Masons, the Cub Scouts, and Bert of Sesame Street. Of course, anyone who > > dares question these theories is labeled a government operative or a > > stooge > > of the corporate/Republican/Zionist cabal that channels brain waves into > > the > > microchips planted in them by the NSA (they know this for a fact because > > of > > the time they woke up in a bathtub full of ice with a note stapled to > > their > > forehead). > > > > One wonders how the left gets loopier all the time, and looks for an > > explanation - but maybe it's so simple and straightforward that it's > > "hidden > > in plain view"? Many of the most rabid leftists who are prominent in > > political circles are middle-to-late ear Baby Boomers who came of age in > > the > > late 1960's and early 1970's: a time when recreational use of narcotics > > was > > not only acceptable but fashionable. In fact, one drug more than all the > > rest not only became widely abused, but became a symbol of the 1960's > > "conterculture" - and that was marijuana. Many leftists, especially those > > in areas with especially severe hippie infestations such as San Francisco > > and Berkeley, made pot a symbol of their philosophy and lifestyle - in > > essence, t > > their raison d'etre. > > > > For many years, potheads and their apologists downplayed the danger of > > marijuana, insisting that the only side effects were ceasing to be > > "uptight" > > and developing on occasional bad case of the munchies. As time went by, > > more > > concerns were raised, including the noticeable lack of motivation among > > chronic users, the development of breast tissue in male users due to the > > increased formation of estrogen, and even male lactation in severe > > circumstances, in addition to the observation that pot inhibited physical > > coordination and caused mental dullness (i.e. "that's why they call it > > dope"). However, research in the last few years has exposed the existence > > of > > what is referred to as "cannabis psychosis", a phenomena which reveals a > > correlation between heavy use of marijuana as an adolescent and > > manifestations of schizophrenia later in life. Given that many prominent > > and > > influential Lefty Liberals can trace the formation of their political > > world > > view back to their hippy-dippy doper days, it's very likely that the > > paranoid hysteria over 9/11, and the refusal to accept the clear evidence, > > may indeed by manifestations of cannabis-induced psychosis... > > > > ============================================================================ > > =================== > > CANNABIS PSYCHOSIS - There are suggestions that in a small number of cases > > Cannabis is capable of precipitating psychosis, going on to the chronic > > picture described below, in people who have had no family and personal > > history of psychiatric illness.There have been suggestions that such > > people > > may be the ones who have started Cannabis in their teens and caused > > disturbance to neural connectivity. However, it seems Cannabis can > > precipitate or exacerbate a schizophrenic tendency in a characteristic > > manner. http://www.priory.com/psych/cannabis.htm > > Cannabis Use and Psychosis > > Wayne Hall > > > > National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre > > (Funded by the National Drugs Strategy) > > The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia > > > > SUMMARY > > > > This report reviews evidence on two hypotheses about the relationship > > between cannabis use and psychosis. The first hypothesis is that heavy > > cannabis use may cause a "cannabis psychosis" - a psychosis that would not > > occur in the absence of cannabis use, the symptoms of which are preceded > > by > > heavy cannabis use and remit after abstinence. The second hypothesis is > > that > > cannabis use may precipitate schizophrenia, or exacerbate its symptoms. > > > > Evaluation of these hypotheses requires evidence of an association between > > cannabis use and psychosis, that is unlikely to be due to chance, in which > > cannabis use precedes psychosis, and in which we can exclude the > > hypothesis > > that the relationship is due to other factors, such as, other drug use, or > > a > > personal vulnerability to psychosis. > > > > There is some clinical support for the first hypothesis. If these > > disorders > > exist they seem to be rare, because they require very high doses of THC, > > the > > prolonged use of highly potent forms of cannabis, or a pre-existing (but > > as > > yet unspecified) vulnerability. There is more support for the second > > hypothesis in that a large prospective study has shown a linear > > relationship > > between the frequency with which cannabis had been used by age 18 and the > > risks over the subsequent 15 years of a diagnosis of schizophrenia. It is > > still unclear whether this means that cannabis use precipitates > > schizophrenia, whether it is a form of "self-medication", or whether the > > association is due to the use of other drugs, such as amphetamines, which > > heavy cannabis users are more likely to use. There is better evidence that > > cannabis use can exacerbate the symptoms of schizophrenia. Mental health > > services should identify patients with schizophrenia who use alcohol, > > cannabis and other drugs and advise them to abstain or to greatly reduce > > their drug use. > > > > http://www.ukcia.org/research/can-psychosis.htm > > > > CANNABIS PSYCHOSIS > > What is cannabis? > > Cannabis refers to the products of the cannabis sativa plant, also known > > as > > marijuana and hashish (depending on which part of the plant is used). > > Cannabis is widely available for use as a recreational drug. It is > > commonly > > taken by mixing with tobacco and smoking as a hand-rolled joint, or by > > inhaling through a water-cooled pipe called a bong. It may also be cooked > > in > > food and eaten. > > > > How many people use cannabis? > > Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug. A recent study indicated > > that > > about 30 per cent of the total population had tried cannabis at some time. > > Among people under 35 years of age, about 50 per cent had tried it at some > > time, and 28 per cent had used it in the past year. > > > > How does cannabis affect the brain? > > Cannabis contains a chemical known as THC for short. THC is a psychoactive > > substance. This means it travels through the bloodstream to the brain, > > disrupting its usual functioning and causing certain intoxicating effects. > > Some of these effects can be pleasant; some are unpleasant. Most of these > > effects are short-term; some can be long-term. > > > > What are the effects of cannabis? > > Common effects include a feeling of relaxation and well-being; loss of > > inhibition; increased talkativeness; confused perception of space and > > time; > > sedation; and reduced ability to concentrate and remember. Other effects > > (more common with heavy use) include paranoia, confusion and increased > > anxiety. With heavy use there may also be hallucinations. > > > > How long do the effects last? > > The effects begin within minutes and can last for up to several hours. For > > people with a psychotic illness, or who have a predisposition to such an > > illness, the effects can be more serious and long-term. Psychotic > > illnesses > > are characterised by symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations and > > thought > > disorder. When people experience psychotic symptoms, they are unable to > > distinguish what is real -there is a loss of contact with reality. > > > > Does cannabis cause psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia? > > Use of cannabis can cause a condition called drug-induced psychosis. This > > usually passes after a few days. However, if someone has a predisposition > > to > > a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, these drugs may precipitate the > > first episode in what can be a lifelong, disabling condition. > > > > How does cannabis affect someone who has a psychotic illness? > > Cannabis generally makes psychotic symptoms worse and lowers the chances > > of > > recovery from a psychotic episode. People with a psychotic illness such as > > schizophrenia who use such drugs experience more hallucinations, delusions > > and other symptoms; they have a higher rate of hospitalisation for > > psychosis > > and treatment is generally less effective. > > > > So should people with a psychotic illness avoid drugs such as cannabis? > > Yes. The consequences can be so serious for the person's health that it is > > best to avoid drugs such as cannabis completely. It can be helpful to look > > at other, healthier ways of relaxing and socialising as an alternative. > > > > http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2343 > > > > Studies link psychosis, teenage marijuana use > > Some adolescents carry genetic risk > > By Carey Goldberg, Globe Staff | January 26, 2006 > > > > Researchers are offering new ammunition to worried parents trying to > > dissuade their teens from smoking marijuana: Evidence is mounting that for > > some adolescents whose genes put them at added risk, heavy marijuana use > > could increase the chances of developing severe mental illness -- > > psychosis > > or schizophrenia. > > > > This week, the marijuana-psychosis link gained ground when two major > > medical > > journals reviewed the research to date and concluded that it was > > persuasive. > > In PLOS Medicine, an Australian public health policy specialist wrote that > > genetically vulnerable teens who smoke marijuana more than once a week > > ''appear at greater risk of psychosis," while the British medical journal > > BMJ cited estimates that marijuana use could contribute to about 10 > > percent > > of cases of psychosis. > > The new research has little hint of ''Reefer Madness" alarmism. Rather, a > > half-dozen long, careful studies published in the last several years have > > tried to determine whether marijuana-smoking is a cause rather than an > > effect of mental illness. And groundbreaking research has begun to try to > > pinpoint which genes and brain chemicals could do the damage. > > > > The conclusions remain controversial, in part because it would be > > unethical > > to randomly assign teens to smoke or not smoke marijuana -- which would be > > necessary to perform a gold-standard study to definitively show that > > adolescent marijuana use causes mental illness. It could be the other way > > around, or some other factor could put teens at risk of both. > > > > But the recent research has attempted to get around these hurdles by > > controlling for factors such as the presence of psychosis before the use > > of > > marijuana, family income, education, other drug use, and childhood > > traumas. > > > > ''No single study is perfect," Wayne Hall, author of the PLOS Medicine > > essay > > and a professor at the University of Queensland, said in an e-mail > > interview. ''But the fact that so many individually imperfect studies so > > consistently find this relationship adds confidence to the conclusion that > > the relationship is causal." > > > > The recent research points to adolescence as a particularly risky time to > > smoke marijuana heavily for those genetically predisposed to mental > > illness. > > Brain scientists theorize that marijuana may induce temporary changes in > > brain chemistry that, when reinforced over time, become permanent. > > > > http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/01/26/studies_link_psychosis_teenage_marijuana_use/ > > > > > > > > > > > >
C. Pangus
2006-10-02 18:28:32 EST
"Stan de SD" <standesd_DIGA_NO_A_SPAM@covad.net> wrote in message news:1a908$45218f3e$45035f0d$10873@msgid.meganewsservers.com... > > "C. Pangus" <craigpangus@sprintmail.com> wrote in message > news:m8gUg.9226$UG4.9191@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net... >> If you want to know why our government is so full of rightards read below > to >> see how entire multi-generational segments of US population has been >> socially marginalized and excluded from government and corporate >> participation by B.S. fables and fantasies such as those below. >> >> The truth is that the hippies saw peace and self-control as wiser than >> imperialism and war leading to our withdrawing from VietNam. The >> war-hawk >> rightards have been persecuting them ever since. > > Hey, Pangus, I didn't mean to take you away from your bong session... :Oo
Don't own one. But I see that the quality and form of your argument fits the rightard standard of many decades: if you disagree politically just smear them with a personal attack, valid or not.
> >> "Stan de SD" <standesd_DIGA_NO_A_SPAM@covad.net> wrote in message >> news:76e3e$4521890e$45035f0d$10698@msgid.meganewsservers.com... >> > Just when you thought the Lefty Liberals couldn't get any nuttier, the >> > newest phenomena appears: the 9/11 conspiracy theorists. Keeping in > theme >> > with the idea that left-wingers have some special form of enlightenment >> > and >> > insight on how the world really works, they can't accept the theory >> > that >> > 9/11 was caused by Islamic terrorists or the the WTC towers collapsed >> > because they were hit by passenger jets at full throttle with maximum > fuel >> > loads. Instead, they weave intricate yet far-reaching theories >> > involving >> > (but not limited to) Bush, Cheney, Halliburton, Karl Rove, the Mossad, > the >> > Masons, the Cub Scouts, and Bert of Sesame Street. Of course, anyone >> > who >> > dares question these theories is labeled a government operative or a >> > stooge >> > of the corporate/Republican/Zionist cabal that channels brain waves >> > into >> > the >> > microchips planted in them by the NSA (they know this for a fact >> > because >> > of >> > the time they woke up in a bathtub full of ice with a note stapled to >> > their >> > forehead). >> > >> > One wonders how the left gets loopier all the time, and looks for an >> > explanation - but maybe it's so simple and straightforward that it's >> > "hidden >> > in plain view"? Many of the most rabid leftists who are prominent in >> > political circles are middle-to-late ear Baby Boomers who came of age >> > in >> > the >> > late 1960's and early 1970's: a time when recreational use of narcotics >> > was >> > not only acceptable but fashionable. In fact, one drug more than all >> > the >> > rest not only became widely abused, but became a symbol of the 1960's >> > "conterculture" - and that was marijuana. Many leftists, especially > those >> > in areas with especially severe hippie infestations such as San > Francisco >> > and Berkeley, made pot a symbol of their philosophy and lifestyle - in >> > essence, t >> > their raison d'etre. >> > >> > For many years, potheads and their apologists downplayed the danger of >> > marijuana, insisting that the only side effects were ceasing to be >> > "uptight" >> > and developing on occasional bad case of the munchies. As time went by, >> > more >> > concerns were raised, including the noticeable lack of motivation among >> > chronic users, the development of breast tissue in male users due to >> > the >> > increased formation of estrogen, and even male lactation in severe >> > circumstances, in addition to the observation that pot inhibited > physical >> > coordination and caused mental dullness (i.e. "that's why they call it >> > dope"). However, research in the last few years has exposed the > existence >> > of >> > what is referred to as "cannabis psychosis", a phenomena which reveals >> > a >> > correlation between heavy use of marijuana as an adolescent and >> > manifestations of schizophrenia later in life. Given that many >> > prominent >> > and >> > influential Lefty Liberals can trace the formation of their political >> > world >> > view back to their hippy-dippy doper days, it's very likely that the >> > paranoid hysteria over 9/11, and the refusal to accept the clear > evidence, >> > may indeed by manifestations of cannabis-induced psychosis... >> > >> > > ============================================================================ >> > =================== >> > CANNABIS PSYCHOSIS - There are suggestions that in a small number of > cases >> > Cannabis is capable of precipitating psychosis, going on to the chronic >> > picture described below, in people who have had no family and personal >> > history of psychiatric illness.There have been suggestions that such >> > people >> > may be the ones who have started Cannabis in their teens and caused >> > disturbance to neural connectivity. However, it seems Cannabis can >> > precipitate or exacerbate a schizophrenic tendency in a characteristic >> > manner. http://www.priory.com/psych/cannabis.htm >> > Cannabis Use and Psychosis >> > Wayne Hall >> > >> > National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre >> > (Funded by the National Drugs Strategy) >> > The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia >> > >> > SUMMARY >> > >> > This report reviews evidence on two hypotheses about the relationship >> > between cannabis use and psychosis. The first hypothesis is that heavy >> > cannabis use may cause a "cannabis psychosis" - a psychosis that would > not >> > occur in the absence of cannabis use, the symptoms of which are >> > preceded >> > by >> > heavy cannabis use and remit after abstinence. The second hypothesis is >> > that >> > cannabis use may precipitate schizophrenia, or exacerbate its symptoms. >> > >> > Evaluation of these hypotheses requires evidence of an association > between >> > cannabis use and psychosis, that is unlikely to be due to chance, in > which >> > cannabis use precedes psychosis, and in which we can exclude the >> > hypothesis >> > that the relationship is due to other factors, such as, other drug use, > or >> > a >> > personal vulnerability to psychosis. >> > >> > There is some clinical support for the first hypothesis. If these >> > disorders >> > exist they seem to be rare, because they require very high doses of >> > THC, >> > the >> > prolonged use of highly potent forms of cannabis, or a pre-existing >> > (but >> > as >> > yet unspecified) vulnerability. There is more support for the second >> > hypothesis in that a large prospective study has shown a linear >> > relationship >> > between the frequency with which cannabis had been used by age 18 and > the >> > risks over the subsequent 15 years of a diagnosis of schizophrenia. It > is >> > still unclear whether this means that cannabis use precipitates >> > schizophrenia, whether it is a form of "self-medication", or whether >> > the >> > association is due to the use of other drugs, such as amphetamines, > which >> > heavy cannabis users are more likely to use. There is better evidence > that >> > cannabis use can exacerbate the symptoms of schizophrenia. Mental >> > health >> > services should identify patients with schizophrenia who use alcohol, >> > cannabis and other drugs and advise them to abstain or to greatly >> > reduce >> > their drug use. >> > >> > http://www.ukcia.org/research/can-psychosis.htm >> > >> > CANNABIS PSYCHOSIS >> > What is cannabis? >> > Cannabis refers to the products of the cannabis sativa plant, also >> > known >> > as >> > marijuana and hashish (depending on which part of the plant is used). >> > Cannabis is widely available for use as a recreational drug. It is >> > commonly >> > taken by mixing with tobacco and smoking as a hand-rolled joint, or by >> > inhaling through a water-cooled pipe called a bong. It may also be > cooked >> > in >> > food and eaten. >> > >> > How many people use cannabis? >> > Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug. A recent study indicated >> > that >> > about 30 per cent of the total population had tried cannabis at some > time. >> > Among people under 35 years of age, about 50 per cent had tried it at > some >> > time, and 28 per cent had used it in the past year. >> > >> > How does cannabis affect the brain? >> > Cannabis contains a chemical known as THC for short. THC is a > psychoactive >> > substance. This means it travels through the bloodstream to the brain, >> > disrupting its usual functioning and causing certain intoxicating > effects. >> > Some of these effects can be pleasant; some are unpleasant. Most of > these >> > effects are short-term; some can be long-term. >> > >> > What are the effects of cannabis? >> > Common effects include a feeling of relaxation and well-being; loss of >> > inhibition; increased talkativeness; confused perception of space and >> > time; >> > sedation; and reduced ability to concentrate and remember. Other >> > effects >> > (more common with heavy use) include paranoia, confusion and increased >> > anxiety. With heavy use there may also be hallucinations. >> > >> > How long do the effects last? >> > The effects begin within minutes and can last for up to several hours. > For >> > people with a psychotic illness, or who have a predisposition to such >> > an >> > illness, the effects can be more serious and long-term. Psychotic >> > illnesses >> > are characterised by symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations and >> > thought >> > disorder. When people experience psychotic symptoms, they are unable to >> > distinguish what is real -there is a loss of contact with reality. >> > >> > Does cannabis cause psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia? >> > Use of cannabis can cause a condition called drug-induced psychosis. > This >> > usually passes after a few days. However, if someone has a > predisposition >> > to >> > a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, these drugs may precipitate > the >> > first episode in what can be a lifelong, disabling condition. >> > >> > How does cannabis affect someone who has a psychotic illness? >> > Cannabis generally makes psychotic symptoms worse and lowers the >> > chances >> > of >> > recovery from a psychotic episode. People with a psychotic illness such > as >> > schizophrenia who use such drugs experience more hallucinations, > delusions >> > and other symptoms; they have a higher rate of hospitalisation for >> > psychosis >> > and treatment is generally less effective. >> > >> > So should people with a psychotic illness avoid drugs such as cannabis? >> > Yes. The consequences can be so serious for the person's health that it > is >> > best to avoid drugs such as cannabis completely. It can be helpful to > look >> > at other, healthier ways of relaxing and socialising as an alternative. >> > >> > http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2343 >> > >> > Studies link psychosis, teenage marijuana use >> > Some adolescents carry genetic risk >> > By Carey Goldberg, Globe Staff | January 26, 2006 >> > >> > Researchers are offering new ammunition to worried parents trying to >> > dissuade their teens from smoking marijuana: Evidence is mounting that > for >> > some adolescents whose genes put them at added risk, heavy marijuana >> > use >> > could increase the chances of developing severe mental illness -- >> > psychosis >> > or schizophrenia. >> > >> > This week, the marijuana-psychosis link gained ground when two major >> > medical >> > journals reviewed the research to date and concluded that it was >> > persuasive. >> > In PLOS Medicine, an Australian public health policy specialist wrote > that >> > genetically vulnerable teens who smoke marijuana more than once a week >> > ''appear at greater risk of psychosis," while the British medical > journal >> > BMJ cited estimates that marijuana use could contribute to about 10 >> > percent >> > of cases of psychosis. >> > The new research has little hint of ''Reefer Madness" alarmism. Rather, > a >> > half-dozen long, careful studies published in the last several years > have >> > tried to determine whether marijuana-smoking is a cause rather than an >> > effect of mental illness. And groundbreaking research has begun to try > to >> > pinpoint which genes and brain chemicals could do the damage. >> > >> > The conclusions remain controversial, in part because it would be >> > unethical >> > to randomly assign teens to smoke or not smoke marijuana -- which would > be >> > necessary to perform a gold-standard study to definitively show that >> > adolescent marijuana use causes mental illness. It could be the other > way >> > around, or some other factor could put teens at risk of both. >> > >> > But the recent research has attempted to get around these hurdles by >> > controlling for factors such as the presence of psychosis before the >> > use >> > of >> > marijuana, family income, education, other drug use, and childhood >> > traumas. >> > >> > ''No single study is perfect," Wayne Hall, author of the PLOS Medicine >> > essay >> > and a professor at the University of Queensland, said in an e-mail >> > interview. ''But the fact that so many individually imperfect studies >> > so >> > consistently find this relationship adds confidence to the conclusion > that >> > the relationship is causal." >> > >> > The recent research points to adolescence as a particularly risky time > to >> > smoke marijuana heavily for those genetically predisposed to mental >> > illness. >> > Brain scientists theorize that marijuana may induce temporary changes >> > in >> > brain chemistry that, when reinforced over time, become permanent. >> > >> > > http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/01/26/studies_link_psychosis_teenage_marijuana_use/ >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> >> > >
Ctyguy
2006-10-02 19:04:32 EST
"Stan de SD" <standesd_DIGA_NO_A_SPAM@covad.net> wrote in message news:76e3e$4521890e$45035f0d$10698@msgid.meganewsservers.com... > Just when you thought the Lefty Liberals couldn't get any nuttier, the > newest phenomena appears: the 9/11 conspiracy theorists. Keeping in theme > with the idea that left-wingers have some special form of enlightenment > and > insight on how the world really works, they can't accept the theory that > 9/11 was caused by Islamic terrorists or the the WTC towers collapsed > because they were hit by passenger jets at full throttle with maximum fuel > loads.
Oh come on, get real, the US has 140,000 troops in Iraq with no one to protect its own shores?
Instead, they weave intricate yet far-reaching theories involving > (but not limited to) Bush, Cheney, Halliburton, Karl Rove, the Mossad, the > Masons, the Cub Scouts, and Bert of Sesame Street. Of course, anyone who > dares question these theories is labeled a government operative or a > stooge > of the corporate/Republican/Zionist cabal that channels brain waves into > the > microchips planted in them by the NSA (they know this for a fact because > of > the time they woke up in a bathtub full of ice with a note stapled to > their > forehead). > > One wonders how the left gets loopier all the time, and looks for an > explanation - but maybe it's so simple and straightforward that it's > "hidden > in plain view"? Many of the most rabid leftists who are prominent in > political circles are middle-to-late ear Baby Boomers who came of age in > the > late 1960's and early 1970's: a time when recreational use of narcotics > was > not only acceptable but fashionable. In fact, one drug more than all the > rest not only became widely abused, but became a symbol of the 1960's > "conterculture" - and that was marijuana. Many leftists, especially those > in areas with especially severe hippie infestations such as San Francisco > and Berkeley, made pot a symbol of their philosophy and lifestyle - in > essence, t > their raison d'etre. > > For many years, potheads and their apologists downplayed the danger of > marijuana, insisting that the only side effects were ceasing to be > "uptight" > and developing on occasional bad case of the munchies. As time went by, > more > concerns were raised, including the noticeable lack of motivation among > chronic users, the development of breast tissue in male users due to the > increased formation of estrogen, and even male lactation in severe > circumstances, in addition to the observation that pot inhibited physical > coordination and caused mental dullness (i.e. "that's why they call it > dope"). However, research in the last few years has exposed the existence > of > what is referred to as "cannabis psychosis", a phenomena which reveals a > correlation between heavy use of marijuana as an adolescent and > manifestations of schizophrenia later in life. Given that many prominent > and > influential Lefty Liberals can trace the formation of their political > world > view back to their hippy-dippy doper days, it's very likely that the > paranoid hysteria over 9/11, and the refusal to accept the clear evidence, > may indeed by manifestations of cannabis-induced psychosis... > > ============================================================================ > =================== > CANNABIS PSYCHOSIS - There are suggestions that in a small number of cases > Cannabis is capable of precipitating psychosis, going on to the chronic > picture described below, in people who have had no family and personal > history of psychiatric illness.There have been suggestions that such > people > may be the ones who have started Cannabis in their teens and caused > disturbance to neural connectivity. However, it seems Cannabis can > precipitate or exacerbate a schizophrenic tendency in a characteristic > manner. http://www.priory.com/psych/cannabis.htm > Cannabis Use and Psychosis > Wayne Hall > > National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre > (Funded by the National Drugs Strategy) > The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia > > SUMMARY > > This report reviews evidence on two hypotheses about the relationship > between cannabis use and psychosis. The first hypothesis is that heavy > cannabis use may cause a "cannabis psychosis" - a psychosis that would not > occur in the absence of cannabis use, the symptoms of which are preceded > by > heavy cannabis use and remit after abstinence. The second hypothesis is > that > cannabis use may precipitate schizophrenia, or exacerbate its symptoms. > > Evaluation of these hypotheses requires evidence of an association between > cannabis use and psychosis, that is unlikely to be due to chance, in which > cannabis use precedes psychosis, and in which we can exclude the > hypothesis > that the relationship is due to other factors, such as, other drug use, or > a > personal vulnerability to psychosis. > > There is some clinical support for the first hypothesis. If these > disorders > exist they seem to be rare, because they require very high doses of THC, > the > prolonged use of highly potent forms of cannabis, or a pre-existing (but > as > yet unspecified) vulnerability. There is more support for the second > hypothesis in that a large prospective study has shown a linear > relationship > between the frequency with which cannabis had been used by age 18 and the > risks over the subsequent 15 years of a diagnosis of schizophrenia. It is > still unclear whether this means that cannabis use precipitates > schizophrenia, whether it is a form of "self-medication", or whether the > association is due to the use of other drugs, such as amphetamines, which > heavy cannabis users are more likely to use. There is better evidence that > cannabis use can exacerbate the symptoms of schizophrenia. Mental health > services should identify patients with schizophrenia who use alcohol, > cannabis and other drugs and advise them to abstain or to greatly reduce > their drug use. > > http://www.ukcia.org/research/can-psychosis.htm > > CANNABIS PSYCHOSIS > What is cannabis? > Cannabis refers to the products of the cannabis sativa plant, also known > as > marijuana and hashish (depending on which part of the plant is used). > Cannabis is widely available for use as a recreational drug. It is > commonly > taken by mixing with tobacco and smoking as a hand-rolled joint, or by > inhaling through a water-cooled pipe called a bong. It may also be cooked > in > food and eaten. > > How many people use cannabis? > Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug. A recent study indicated > that > about 30 per cent of the total population had tried cannabis at some time. > Among people under 35 years of age, about 50 per cent had tried it at some > time, and 28 per cent had used it in the past year. > > How does cannabis affect the brain? > Cannabis contains a chemical known as THC for short. THC is a psychoactive > substance. This means it travels through the bloodstream to the brain, > disrupting its usual functioning and causing certain intoxicating effects. > Some of these effects can be pleasant; some are unpleasant. Most of these > effects are short-term; some can be long-term. > > What are the effects of cannabis? > Common effects include a feeling of relaxation and well-being; loss of > inhibition; increased talkativeness; confused perception of space and > time; > sedation; and reduced ability to concentrate and remember. Other effects > (more common with heavy use) include paranoia, confusion and increased > anxiety. With heavy use there may also be hallucinations. > > How long do the effects last? > The effects begin within minutes and can last for up to several hours. For > people with a psychotic illness, or who have a predisposition to such an > illness, the effects can be more serious and long-term. Psychotic > illnesses > are characterised by symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations and > thought > disorder. When people experience psychotic symptoms, they are unable to > distinguish what is real -there is a loss of contact with reality. > > Does cannabis cause psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia? > Use of cannabis can cause a condition called drug-induced psychosis. This > usually passes after a few days. However, if someone has a predisposition > to > a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, these drugs may precipitate the > first episode in what can be a lifelong, disabling condition. > > How does cannabis affect someone who has a psychotic illness? > Cannabis generally makes psychotic symptoms worse and lowers the chances > of > recovery from a psychotic episode. People with a psychotic illness such as > schizophrenia who use such drugs experience more hallucinations, delusions > and other symptoms; they have a higher rate of hospitalisation for > psychosis > and treatment is generally less effective. > > So should people with a psychotic illness avoid drugs such as cannabis? > Yes. The consequences can be so serious for the person's health that it is > best to avoid drugs such as cannabis completely. It can be helpful to look > at other, healthier ways of relaxing and socialising as an alternative. > > http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2343 > > Studies link psychosis, teenage marijuana use > Some adolescents carry genetic risk > By Carey Goldberg, Globe Staff | January 26, 2006 > > Researchers are offering new ammunition to worried parents trying to > dissuade their teens from smoking marijuana: Evidence is mounting that for > some adolescents whose genes put them at added risk, heavy marijuana use > could increase the chances of developing severe mental illness -- > psychosis > or schizophrenia. > > This week, the marijuana-psychosis link gained ground when two major > medical > journals reviewed the research to date and concluded that it was > persuasive. > In PLOS Medicine, an Australian public health policy specialist wrote that > genetically vulnerable teens who smoke marijuana more than once a week > ''appear at greater risk of psychosis," while the British medical journal > BMJ cited estimates that marijuana use could contribute to about 10 > percent > of cases of psychosis. > The new research has little hint of ''Reefer Madness" alarmism. Rather, a > half-dozen long, careful studies published in the last several years have > tried to determine whether marijuana-smoking is a cause rather than an > effect of mental illness. And groundbreaking research has begun to try to > pinpoint which genes and brain chemicals could do the damage. > > The conclusions remain controversial, in part because it would be > unethical > to randomly assign teens to smoke or not smoke marijuana -- which would be > necessary to perform a gold-standard study to definitively show that > adolescent marijuana use causes mental illness. It could be the other way > around, or some other factor could put teens at risk of both. > > But the recent research has attempted to get around these hurdles by > controlling for factors such as the presence of psychosis before the use > of > marijuana, family income, education, other drug use, and childhood > traumas. > > ''No single study is perfect," Wayne Hall, author of the PLOS Medicine > essay > and a professor at the University of Queensland, said in an e-mail > interview. ''But the fact that so many individually imperfect studies so > consistently find this relationship adds confidence to the conclusion that > the relationship is causal." > > The recent research points to adolescence as a particularly risky time to > smoke marijuana heavily for those genetically predisposed to mental > illness. > Brain scientists theorize that marijuana may induce temporary changes in > brain chemistry that, when reinforced over time, become permanent. > > http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/01/26/studies_link_psychosis_teenage_marijuana_use/ > > > > >
The God Of Odd Statements
2006-10-02 20:49:19 EST
On Mon, 02 Oct 2006 14:57:18 -0700, Stan de SD did most oddly state: > "Stan de SD" wrote... >> Just when you thought the Lefty Liberals couldn't get any nuttier, the >> newest phenomena appears: the 9/11 conspiracy theorists. <snip quoted screed>
Hey, spammer, you always use such a broad brush?
-- ________________________________________________________________________ Hail Eris! mhm 29x21; TM#5 Demon Lord of Confusion COOSN-029-06-71069 Supreme High Overlord of rec.radio.* Chuck Lysaght: Tarred & Feathered! "It would be offly hard for any of you to abuse me on usenet. Really. I have the advantage. I could easily turn alt.usenet.kooks into a cesspool of encoded posts. Bringing the noise ratio up so high as to make the group worthless. Anybody who can code could do this, why nobody has bothered before now is beyond me. The ultimate spamming engine.. 'BAWAHAHA'" -- Dustbin "Outer Filth" K00k's delusions of grandeur reached new heights, in Message-ID: <*2@69.28.186.121> "Immorality: The morality of those who are having a better time." -- H. L. Mencken
"Consider that language a moment. 'Purposefully and materially supported hostilities against the United States' is in the eye of the beholder, and this administration has proven itself to be astonishingly impatient with criticism of any kind. The broad powers given to Bush by this legislation allow him to capture, indefinitely detain, and refuse a hearing to any American citizen who speaks out against Iraq or any other part of the so-called 'War on Terror.'
"If you write a letter to the editor attacking Bush, you could be deemed as purposefully and materially supporting hostilities against the United States. If you organize or join a public demonstration against Iraq, or against the administration, the same designation could befall you. One dark-comedy aspect of the legislation is that senators or House members who publicly disagree with Bush, criticize him, or organize investigations into his dealings could be placed under the same designation. In effect, Congress just gave Bush the power to lock them up." -- William Rivers Pitt
C-bee1
2006-10-02 20:58:47 EST
"Stan de SD" <standesd_DIGA_NO_A_SPAM@covad.net> wrote in message news:76e3e$4521890e$45035f0d$10698@msgid.meganewsservers.com... > Just when you thought the Lefty Liberals couldn't get any nuttier, the > newest phenomena appears: the 9/11 conspiracy theorists
k00k-a-d00dle-d000!
Stan De SD
2006-10-03 01:10:54 EST
"The God of Odd Statements" <godofodd@statements.likeyours> wrote in message news:pan.2006.10.03.00.49.17.493097@statements.likeyours... > On Mon, 02 Oct 2006 14:57:18 -0700, Stan de SD did most oddly state: > > "Stan de SD" wrote... > >> Just when you thought the Lefty Liberals couldn't get any nuttier, the > >> newest phenomena appears: the 9/11 conspiracy theorists. > <snip quoted screed> > > Hey, spammer, you always use such a broad brush?
If the bong fits, smoke it. .. (:Oo=*
Stan De SD
2006-10-03 02:34:14 EST
"C. Pangus" <craigpangus@sprintmail.com> wrote in message news:kogUg.9241$UG4.145@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net... > > "Stan de SD" <standesd_DIGA_NO_A_SPAM@covad.net> wrote in message > news:1a908$45218f3e$45035f0d$10873@msgid.meganewsservers.com... > > > > "C. Pangus" <craigpangus@sprintmail.com> wrote in message > > news:m8gUg.9226$UG4.9191@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net... > >> If you want to know why our government is so full of rightards read below > > to > >> see how entire multi-generational segments of US population has been > >> socially marginalized and excluded from government and corporate > >> participation by B.S. fables and fantasies such as those below. > >> > >> The truth is that the hippies saw peace and self-control as wiser than > >> imperialism and war leading to our withdrawing from VietNam. The > >> war-hawk > >> rightards have been persecuting them ever since. > > > > Hey, Pangus, I didn't mean to take you away from your bong session... :Oo > > > Don't own one. But I see that the quality and form of your argument fits > the rightard standard of many decades: if you disagree politically just > smear them with a personal attack, valid or not.
Is your paranoia getting the best of you? I hardly said that all people who disagree with me are suffering some from psychiatric issues, but it certainly is legitimate to wonder why the far left has embraced one of the nuttiest conspiracies to come down the pike. Unlike the JFK incident, the attacks on the WTC were filmed and videtaped from numerous angles and perspectives, and were seen by hundreds of thousands of people. Yet the Lefty Liberal wacknuts just can't ACCEPT the fact that Islamofascists (you know, the same people who have been screaming "Death to America!" for the last 20-30 years) flew airplanes into buildings to kill people!!! Instead, they have to come up with all sorts of other highly improbable convoluted theories, drag out phony "war-hero-turned-antiwar-protester" types whose cover is blown the minute someone who has a clue WTF goes on in the military, then go ballistic when anyone points out the flaws in their reasoning. Such behavior is certainly indicative of paranoia, delusional thinking, and a complete disconnect from reality.
Now, given that we have a phenomena that primarily occurs in leftists, how do we explain it? Genetic or hereditary dispositions toward psychosis are possible, but mitigated by the fact that even close family members can widely varying poltical viewpoints. Chemical contrails from secret CIA aircraft is a bit of a longshot as well. A more plausible explanation is that cannabis sativa, not merely just the recreational drug of choice among leftists growing up in the 1960's but the very icon of their sociopolitical movement, has been shown to increase the likelihood of schizophrenic behavior. Therefore, I submit that there is more than coincidential relationship between marijuana use and the facility which those on the left entertain such conspiracy theories:
====================================== Studies link marijuana, schizophrenia Last year, Netherlands researchers reviewed five studies and concluded that the use of marijuana (cannabis) approximately doubles the risk of developing schizophrenia. Because the studies excluded anyone with a history of psychosis and controlled for the use of other drugs, they were "able to show the specific effects of cannabis."
Now a new study from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York has shed light on the reason for the link between marijuana and schizophrenia. With several groups of adolescents as their subjects, they used a special type of MRI called diffusion tensor imaging to compare the brains of those with and without schizophrenia, both users and non-users of marijuana. They found that heavy use of marijuana caused the type of abnormalities in certain areas of the brain as were found in the brains of the subjects with schizophrenia, and these abnormalities were the most pronounced in schizophrenic subjects who regularly smoked marijuana.
The abnormalities occur in a brain pathway related to language and auditory functions which is still developing during adolescence. Thus if a young person is genetically at risk for schizophrenia, the research suggests, the use of marijuana can cause the same kind of damage the schizophenia would cause, which could bring on the illness when it might otherwise have not have emerged, cause earlier onset, and/or worsen the condition.
Newsday quoted one of the study's authors, Dr. Manzar Ashtari, as saying, ""Don't put yourself at risk, especially if you have a family history of schizophrenia or severe mental illness -- especially when the brain is still growing."
Cannabis and schizophrenia. A longitudinal study of Swedish conscripts.
Andreasson S, Allebeck P, Engstrom A, Rydberg U.
Karolinska Institutet, Department of Social Medicine, Huddinge, Sweden.
The association between level of cannabis consumption and development of schizophrenia during a 15-year follow-up was studied in a cohort of 45,570 Swedish conscripts. The relative risk for schizophrenia among high consumers of cannabis (use on more than fifty occasions) was 6.0 (95% confidence interval 4.0-8.9) compared with non-users. Persistence of the association after allowance for other psychiatric illness and social background indicated that cannabis is an independent risk factor for schizophrenia.
Marijuana Triggers Schizophrenia-Like Symptoms >From Yale University News Release
Cannabis Can Trigger Transient Reactions in the Brain The principal active ingredient in marijuana causes transient schizophrenia-like symptoms ranging from suspiciousness and delusions to impairments in memory and attention, according to a Yale research study. Lead author D. Cyril D'Souza, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, said the study was an attempt to clarify a long known association between cannabis and psychosis in the hopes of finding another clue about the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
"Just as studies with amphetamines and ketamine advanced the notion that brain systems utilizing the chemical messengers dopamine and NMDA receptors may be involved in the pathophysiology in schizophrenia, this study provides some tantalizing support for the hypotheses that the brain receptor system that cannabis acts on may be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia," he said.
"Clearly, further work is needed to test this hypothesis." D'Souza and his co-researchers administered various doses of delta-9-THC, the main active ingredient in cannabis, to subjects who were screened for any vulnerability to schizophrenia. Some subjects developed symptoms resembling those of schizophrenia that lasted approximately one half hour to one hour.
These symptoms included suspiciousness, unusual thoughts, paranoia, thought disorder, blunted affect, reduced spontaneity, reduced interaction with the interviewer, and problems with memory and attention. THC also induced euphoria and increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. There were no side effects in the study participants one, three and six months after the study.
The findings of this study go along with several other lines of evidence that suggest a contribution of cannabis and/or abnormalities in the brain cannabinoid receptor system to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
Co-authors included Edward Perry, M.D., Lisa MacDougal, Yola Ammerman, Yu-Te Wu, Gabriel Braley, Ralitza Gueorguieva, and John Krystal, M.D., of Yale, and Thomas Cooper of Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons.
> >> "Stan de SD" <standesd_DIGA_NO_A_SPAM@covad.net> wrote in message > >> news:76e3e$4521890e$45035f0d$10698@msgid.meganewsservers.com... > >> > Just when you thought the Lefty Liberals couldn't get any nuttier, the > >> > newest phenomena appears: the 9/11 conspiracy theorists. Keeping in > > theme > >> > with the idea that left-wingers have some special form of enlightenment > >> > and > >> > insight on how the world really works, they can't accept the theory > >> > that > >> > 9/11 was caused by Islamic terrorists or the the WTC towers collapsed > >> > because they were hit by passenger jets at full throttle with maximum > > fuel > >> > loads. Instead, they weave intricate yet far-reaching theories > >> > involving > >> > (but not limited to) Bush, Cheney, Halliburton, Karl Rove, the Mossad, > > the > >> > Masons, the Cub Scouts, and Bert of Sesame Street. Of course, anyone > >> > who > >> > dares question these theories is labeled a government operative or a > >> > stooge > >> > of the corporate/Republican/Zionist cabal that channels brain waves > >> > into > >> > the > >> > microchips planted in them by the NSA (they know this for a fact > >> > because > >> > of > >> > the time they woke up in a bathtub full of ice with a note stapled to > >> > their > >> > forehead). > >> > > >> > One wonders how the left gets loopier all the time, and looks for an > >> > explanation - but maybe it's so simple and straightforward that it's > >> > "hidden > >> > in plain view"? Many of the most rabid leftists who are prominent in > >> > political circles are middle-to-late ear Baby Boomers who came of age > >> > in > >> > the > >> > late 1960's and early 1970's: a time when recreational use of narcotics > >> > was > >> > not only acceptable but fashionable. In fact, one drug more than all > >> > the > >> > rest not only became widely abused, but became a symbol of the 1960's > >> > "conterculture" - and that was marijuana. Many leftists, especially > > those > >> > in areas with especially severe hippie infestations such as San > > Francisco > >> > and Berkeley, made pot a symbol of their philosophy and lifestyle - in > >> > essence, t > >> > their raison d'etre. > >> > > >> > For many years, potheads and their apologists downplayed the danger of > >> > marijuana, insisting that the only side effects were ceasing to be > >> > "uptight" > >> > and developing on occasional bad case of the munchies. As time went by, > >> > more > >> > concerns were raised, including the noticeable lack of motivation among > >> > chronic users, the development of breast tissue in male users due to > >> > the > >> > increased formation of estrogen, and even male lactation in severe > >> > circumstances, in addition to the observation that pot inhibited > > physical > >> > coordination and caused mental dullness (i.e. "that's why they call it > >> > dope"). However, research in the last few years has exposed the > > existence > >> > of > >> > what is referred to as "cannabis psychosis", a phenomena which reveals > >> > a > >> > correlation between heavy use of marijuana as an adolescent and > >> > manifestations of schizophrenia later in life. Given that many > >> > prominent > >> > and > >> > influential Lefty Liberals can trace the formation of their political > >> > world > >> > view back to their hippy-dippy doper days, it's very likely that the > >> > paranoid hysteria over 9/11, and the refusal to accept the clear > > evidence, > >> > may indeed by manifestations of cannabis-induced psychosis... > >> > > >> > > > ============================================================================ > >> > =================== > >> > CANNABIS PSYCHOSIS - There are suggestions that in a small number of > > cases > >> > Cannabis is capable of precipitating psychosis, going on to the chronic > >> > picture described below, in people who have had no family and personal > >> > history of psychiatric illness.There have been suggestions that such > >> > people > >> > may be the ones who have started Cannabis in their teens and caused > >> > disturbance to neural connectivity. However, it seems Cannabis can > >> > precipitate or exacerbate a schizophrenic tendency in a characteristic > >> > manner. http://www.priory.com/psych/cannabis.htm > >> > Cannabis Use and Psychosis > >> > Wayne Hall > >> > > >> > National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre > >> > (Funded by the National Drugs Strategy) > >> > The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia > >> > > >> > SUMMARY > >> > > >> > This report reviews evidence on two hypotheses about the relationship > >> > between cannabis use and psychosis. The first hypothesis is that heavy > >> > cannabis use may cause a "cannabis psychosis" - a psychosis that would > > not > >> > occur in the absence of cannabis use, the symptoms of which are > >> > preceded > >> > by > >> > heavy cannabis use and remit after abstinence. The second hypothesis is > >> > that > >> > cannabis use may precipitate schizophrenia, or exacerbate its symptoms. > >> > > >> > Evaluation of these hypotheses requires evidence of an association > > between > >> > cannabis use and psychosis, that is unlikely to be due to chance, in > > which > >> > cannabis use precedes psychosis, and in which we can exclude the > >> > hypothesis > >> > that the relationship is due to other factors, such as, other drug use, > > or > >> > a > >> > personal vulnerability to psychosis. > >> > > >> > There is some clinical support for the first hypothesis. If these > >> > disorders > >> > exist they seem to be rare, because they require very high doses of > >> > THC, > >> > the > >> > prolonged use of highly potent forms of cannabis, or a pre-existing > >> > (but > >> > as > >> > yet unspecified) vulnerability. There is more support for the second > >> > hypothesis in that a large prospective study has shown a linear > >> > relationship > >> > between the frequency with which cannabis had been used by age 18 and > > the > >> > risks over the subsequent 15 years of a diagnosis of schizophrenia. It > > is > >> > still unclear whether this means that cannabis use precipitates > >> > schizophrenia, whether it is a form of "self-medication", or whether > >> > the > >> > association is due to the use of other drugs, such as amphetamines, > > which > >> > heavy cannabis users are more likely to use. There is better evidence > > that > >> > cannabis use can exacerbate the symptoms of schizophrenia. Mental > >> > health > >> > services should identify patients with schizophrenia who use alcohol, > >> > cannabis and other drugs and advise them to abstain or to greatly > >> > reduce > >> > their drug use. > >> > > >> > http://www.ukcia.org/research/can-psychosis.htm > >> > > >> > CANNABIS PSYCHOSIS > >> > What is cannabis? > >> > Cannabis refers to the products of the cannabis sativa plant, also > >> > known > >> > as > >> > marijuana and hashish (depending on which part of the plant is used). > >> > Cannabis is widely available for use as a recreational drug. It is > >> > commonly > >> > taken by mixing with tobacco and smoking as a hand-rolled joint, or by > >> > inhaling through a water-cooled pipe called a bong. It may also be > > cooked > >> > in > >> > food and eaten. > >> > > >> > How many people use cannabis? > >> > Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug. A recent study indicated > >> > that > >> > about 30 per cent of the total population had tried cannabis at some > > time. > >> > Among people under 35 years of age, about 50 per cent had tried it at > > some > >> > time, and 28 per cent had used it in the past year. > >> > > >> > How does cannabis affect the brain? > >> > Cannabis contains a chemical known as THC for short. THC is a > > psychoactive > >> > substance. This means it travels through the bloodstream to the brain, > >> > disrupting its usual functioning and causing certain intoxicating > > effects. > >> > Some of these effects can be pleasant; some are unpleasant. Most of > > these > >> > effects are short-term; some can be long-term. > >> > > >> > What are the effects of cannabis? > >> > Common effects include a feeling of relaxation and well-being; loss of > >> > inhibition; increased talkativeness; confused perception of space and > >> > time; > >> > sedation; and reduced ability to concentrate and remember. Other > >> > effects > >> > (more common with heavy use) include paranoia, confusion and increased > >> > anxiety. With heavy use there may also be hallucinations. > >> > > >> > How long do the effects last? > >> > The effects begin within minutes and can last for up to several hours. > > For > >> > people with a psychotic illness, or who have a predisposition to such > >> > an > >> > illness, the effects can be more serious and long-term. Psychotic > >> > illnesses > >> > are characterised by symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations and > >> > thought > >> > disorder. When people experience psychotic symptoms, they are unable to > >> > distinguish what is real -there is a loss of contact with reality. > >> > > >> > Does cannabis cause psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia? > >> > Use of cannabis can cause a condition called drug-induced psychosis. > > This > >> > usually passes after a few days. However, if someone has a > > predisposition > >> > to > >> > a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, these drugs may precipitate > > the > >> > first episode in what can be a lifelong, disabling condition. > >> > > >> > How does cannabis affect someone who has a psychotic illness? > >> > Cannabis generally makes psychotic symptoms worse and lowers the > >> > chances > >> > of > >> > recovery from a psychotic episode. People with a psychotic illness such > > as > >> > schizophrenia who use such drugs experience more hallucinations, > > delusions > >> > and other symptoms; they have a higher rate of hospitalisation for > >> > psychosis > >> > and treatment is generally less effective. > >> > > >> > So should people with a psychotic illness avoid drugs such as cannabis? > >> > Yes. The consequences can be so serious for the person's health that it > > is > >> > best to avoid drugs such as cannabis completely. It can be helpful to > > look > >> > at other, healthier ways of relaxing and socialising as an alternative. > >> > > >> > http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2343 > >> > > >> > Studies link psychosis, teenage marijuana use > >> > Some adolescents carry genetic risk > >> > By Carey Goldberg, Globe Staff | January 26, 2006 > >> > > >> > Researchers are offering new ammunition to worried parents trying to > >> > dissuade their teens from smoking marijuana: Evidence is mounting that > > for > >> > some adolescents whose genes put them at added risk, heavy marijuana > >> > use > >> > could increase the chances of developing severe mental illness -- > >> > psychosis > >> > or schizophrenia. > >> > > >> > This week, the marijuana-psychosis link gained ground when two major > >> > medical > >> > journals reviewed the research to date and concluded that it was > >> > persuasive. > >> > In PLOS Medicine, an Australian public health policy specialist wrote > > that > >> > genetically vulnerable teens who smoke marijuana more than once a week > >> > ''appear at greater risk of psychosis," while the British medical > > journal > >> > BMJ cited estimates that marijuana use could contribute to about 10 > >> > percent > >> > of cases of psychosis. > >> > The new research has little hint of ''Reefer Madness" alarmism. Rather, > > a > >> > half-dozen long, careful studies published in the last several years > > have > >> > tried to determine whether marijuana-smoking is a cause rather than an > >> > effect of mental illness. And groundbreaking research has begun to try > > to > >> > pinpoint which genes and brain chemicals could do the damage. > >> > > >> > The conclusions remain controversial, in part because it would be > >> > unethical > >> > to randomly assign teens to smoke or not smoke marijuana -- which would > > be > >> > necessary to perform a gold-standard study to definitively show that > >> > adolescent marijuana use causes mental illness. It could be the other > > way > >> > around, or some other factor could put teens at risk of both. > >> > > >> > But the recent research has attempted to get around these hurdles by > >> > controlling for factors such as the presence of psychosis before the > >> > use > >> > of > >> > marijuana, family income, education, other drug use, and childhood > >> > traumas. > >> > > >> > ''No single study is perfect," Wayne Hall, author of the PLOS Medicine > >> > essay > >> > and a professor at the University of Queensland, said in an e-mail > >> > interview. ''But the fact that so many individually imperfect studies > >> > so > >> > consistently find this relationship adds confidence to the conclusion > > that > >> > the relationship is causal." > >> > > >> > The recent research points to adolescence as a particularly risky time > > to > >> > smoke marijuana heavily for those genetically predisposed to mental > >> > illness. > >> > Brain scientists theorize that marijuana may induce temporary changes > >> > in > >> > brain chemistry that, when reinforced over time, become permanent. > >> > > >> > > > http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/01/26/studies_link_psychosis_teenage_marijuana_use/