Young people who use high potency ‘skunk’ cannabis daily ‘have psychotic episodes earlier’

Daily Mail (UK) ^ | 19:10 EST, 11 January 2014 | Dan Bloom

[Olog-hai]

Mental illnesses are triggered six years earlier in patients who have smoked high-strength cannabis every day, a study has claimed.

Mental health patients who smoked skunk daily—which has a high amount of the drug’s active ingredient, THC—had their first psychotic episode at an average age of 25, compared to 31 for non-users.

Yet the damage was not limited to heavy smokers or those using powerful cannabis, according to the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London.

Mental health patients with a general history of using cannabis still had their first psychotic episodes at 28—three years earlier than those who never tried the drug. …

[Wuli]

“Mental illnesses are triggered six years earlier in patients who have smoked high-strength cannabis every day”

The emphasis - as the actual studies show - is on “every day”.

The issue arises from EARLY & CHRONIC USE that continues from youth into adulthood.

MILLIONS of youth experiment with pot. The overwhelming majority do not do much more than experiment, do not become habitual users, do not become chronic long term users from their youth into adulthood.

Should kids be disuaded from trying pot? Definitly.

But, let’s be clear, among the millions who will try it, most, the majority, will NOT become “pot heads”, in youth or in life.

[allendale]

Very limited study in states that legalized “medical marijuana’ and no real systemic drug testing of people involved in accidents. Would you trust children driving in a car with a driver who is or had recently smoked marijuana? Perhaps you would.

[Chode]

i doubt it

[Ken H]

Very limited study in states that legalized “medical marijuana’ and no real systemic drug testing of people involved in accidents.

So? They found a valid correlation. You can speculate whether there is causality, but it certainly shoots the argument that medical marijuana laws lead to more dangerous highways.

Would you trust children driving in a car with a driver who is or had recently smoked marijuana?

Why, no. Would you trust him if he'd been drinking?

[CorporateStepsister]

I think Marijuana helps because as it is, the body is in a state where things are entirely different. So the pot helps.

Yet, if the body is originally healthy, the marijuana harms.

[2ndDivisionVet]

[Gene Eric]

>> as it is, the body is in a state where things are entirely different.

Like... as not is!

Welcome to FR!

[CorporateStepsister]

Thank you and I’m glad to be here! I love it here!

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I would be hesitant to say “cured”, instead of “treated”. There really isn’t a cure for severe seizures, because even if the seizures can be stopped, there may be a dangerous underlying condition, or long term damage from the seizures.

They are making some rather unexpected inroads into frequent seizures, such as the extremely high fat (ketogenic) diet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet

[aces]

I agree, it is not a magic fix..but is rediculous to jail folks for .

[aces]

I am sure there is good and bad to it.., like all things earthly

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I am someone biased in favor of its medical use, because I knew a lady with terminal cancer whose life was extended perhaps six months because it permitted her to eat. Often such an extension is enough for the chemo to kick in and destroy the cancer.

[Wolfie]

Mental health patients who smoked skunk daily—which has a high amount of the drug’s active ingredient, THC—had their first psychotic episode at an average age of 25, compared to 31 for non-users.

Holy crap! If I DON'T use pot I'll have a psychotic episode!