| In the General/Chat forum, on a thread titled The alarming link between schizophrenia and marijuana, jimwatx wrote: |
I question the validity of some of these studies. Mental illness usually manifests itself between the ages of 18-25 or so, the same time period when most are likely to experiment with pot. Correlation doesn’t always equal causation. While smoking weed by someone who is vulnerable to mental illness might help precipitate full blown schizophrenia, it’s also just as likely that such a person would eventually develop this disorder without smoking pot. |
Elements like age, socio-economic status and other demographics are factored into this kind of research.
I don’t consider marijuana entirely harmless, it has been shown to stunt the development of the brain’s white matter. But I question them asserting that its use leads to a higher risk of mental illness. Hell I use weed to treat my mental illness (bipolar disorder) because the conventional meds did zero for me. I’ve smoked weed since I was 14 and on an almost daily basis up to now as I approach 67. I’m always under the influence of it including while posting on this forum, do I strike people as being some kind of confused and delirious pothead? Marijuana just relaxes me and helps keep me from getting overly agitated. Without weed I’d be even more of a jerk than I am now lol.