Posted on 03/20/2019 8:54:13 PM PDT by george76
Alex Berenson .. people who think marijuana is medicine and a safe alternative to alcohol are fooling themselves...
The industry’s money and political influence, along with the media’s acquiescence, have obscured the scientific links between marijuana and mental illness...
“The problems are real and right in front of people,” he told a crowd at the History Colorado Center in Denver on Wednesday. It was his third Colorado talk in two days to discuss his new book, “Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence.”
“It’s like we all need glasses. ... The connection to psychosis is real.”
...
Berenson cited a new study published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal that found people who use cannabis daily are three times more likely than non-users to eventually have a psychotic episode. Those who use high-potency pot are four times more likely, and those who starting getting high before age 15 carry even more risk, the study found.
“This is more evidence that the link between cannabis and psychosis matters,” Krista M. Lisdahl, a clinical neuropsychologist at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, told National Public Radio.
Berenson’s book makes the case that not enough has been done scientifically to explore whether pot poses serious mental health risks for its users, especially younger ones.
The author, a father of two and husband of a forensic psychiatrist, said the data tells him that pot could lead to psychosis and schizophrenia for heavy users.
...
“I was a pretty good investigative reporter, because I often saw the way companies would deceive, especially when there’s money on the line,” he said. “I mention that because I think this story of cannabis legalization is a story of deception, but it’s also sort of self-deception.”
(Excerpt) Read more at gazette.com ...
“Correlation does not equal causation.”
Correct.
For example, mental illness does not cause self-medication with illegal drugs.
Instead, use of illegal drugs causes mental illness.
Progressives get the whole causation thing bass ackwards, with predictable results.
if you want to stop mental illness, stop drug use.
Thank you for some reasoned comments on the subject.
The KOMO TV “Seattle is Dying” documentary reveals the narcotics connection to the homeless problem. There was a 100% correlation of homelessness to drug use. Homelessness is just one of the side effects caused by the poisons coming out of the illegal drug industry: crime, overdose deaths, gang killings, violent acts, auto accidents, accidents, mistakes, outrageous behavior, and I suspect, smearing sh## on 500 feet of retail carpet.
As the tombstones said:
"Long gun, slow draw. Here he lies"
"Committed suicide. Drew on a man with a rifle
We are being flooded with illegal drugs from Mexico and China to weaken and destroy our country.
The solution is simple. Round up drug dealers, convict them, and then publicly execute them on TV. The “homeless” problem will be solved in 6 months.
This is how China dealt with the opium poison in the 19th century.
I have seen several people with wasted lives, which revolves around ‘pot’. It is quite sad, and it’s a drag and drain on society, too.
There is this one guy who is a friend of a close relative of mine, so I come across him a bit, and he just can’t stop talking about ‘pot’. I don’t care what the subject is that anyone else is talking about, I’ll guarantee you, he’s got a connection to ‘pot’ in there somewhere ... LOL ...
If you mention some sort of problem you have ... maybe a medical problem, or ‘whatever’ ... I’ll guarantee you he’ll come up with a solution that is related to ‘pot’.
One time I had to go on a two-hour ride with him to help another relative move. I ended up hearing about ‘pot’ for 3/4 of the trip down and back. This guy is absolutely ‘consumed’ with it. Nothing else in life matters to him ... not even family or job or getting ahead ... nothing. His last 45+ years have been this way.
I will concede that it is not proven. There are other factors to consider, other variables that may be a factor. For example, are pot users more likely to be reclusive? And are reclusive people more likely to have a psychotic break? Are they more likely to play video games watching flashing images for longer periods of time than others? There are too many variables to control.
So indeed the pot itself is not necessarily the direct link. But it is a piece of evidence. These kinds of statistics are misused all the time. At best we can say that people who use high potency pot are 4 times more likely to have a psychotic break than not pot users. It doesn’t mean much, especially when we don’t know the rate of psychotic breaks in the general population.
That said, this is not the only thing we know about pot. We know THC alters the mind and passed the blood brain barrier. So the one piece of evidence proves very little. A lot more data needs to be read into the picture. It still may not prove the link, just help increase the confidence in the hypothesis by ruling out and ruling in other variables.
4th generation potheads won’t be able to tie their shoelaces. 6th generation won’t be capable of speech
It sure doesn't help when it is legalized.
I noticed that over the years. It’s like they found heaven and want you there, too. I do believe it has medicinal value though, even with the THC componet removed. I have a small hunch that the author may have a pharmaceutical induced opinion about the subject.
Plus One
I smoked weed daily 18 years
Do i seem psychotic?
I’m fairly well known here as a loud Southron.
I’ve got five kids, a pretty wife and as many as nine dependents at times
On the other hand I’ve dealt with drunks in my family
I’ll take a pothead any day
The experts here demonizing pot with hyperbole have never smoked
Just ask em
Please send this article to all your family members and friends. It is something that has been on the horizon for a long time but ignored by the drug trade.
A lot of DC area drivers involved in accidents had marijuana/THC and often other drugs (Ecstacy, Heroine or Cocaine, Fentynal_ in their blood. People died.
Seattle problem is politics and demographics and heroin and happens long before weeds recent legalization there
Weed is pretty much legal in Michigan
I haven’t noticed it as a state of crazies
An abundance of northern rednecks surrounding progressives in Lansing and Ann Arbor and thugs in Detroit central and Flint and parts of GR
I do think Denver being an early hub of legal weed attracted hipster street people for the weed that dirtied it up
I noticed that myself
But Denver is overrun with hipsters anyhow
Pot is legal in California and industrial grows in Carpenteria and downtown Los Angeles don’t seem to impact much
California problem is white liberals and minorities numbers
NorCal near the coast is kinda weird but again pot growers in Trinity are more long haired redneck than lefties
Alex Berenson hates weed ....it’s his thingie
I don’t know anyone who’s gotten schizophrenia or psychosis from it but I have seen folks get too high temporarily and get panic attacks which went away
And I know a few dozen folks in their 60s and 70s who smoked daily since Vietnam ....every day
My ex wife’s grandma from Lebanon who lived in Rio de Janiero last fifty years of her life....a Maronite phalangist raised lady smoked hashish till her mid 80s at night to relax and then switched to a tea she made from crushed pot buds steamed like actual tea
Her medicine
She lived to be 104....smoked four to six Camel barebacks a day too with her Turkish coffee
She was quite a lady
There is an island in Puget Sound owned by the feds which is pretty much abandoned. They need to open up a facility there like the one in Rhode Island.
Two stupids don't make a smart.
CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION
Total crock
Risk of psychosis is off the charts from hallucinogens versus anything
Totally discredited from jump street whatever that evidence is
It’s not that way in the south
I know 100s of pot smokers....daily night smokers from blue collar to professional
All fairly to very conservative
And oddly I have hunting buddies in Utah who smoke weed...and drink
And they sure ain’t progs
One has a high end auto repair in SLC area....
According to the author, the paperback should have a bibliography to make it easier to locate the studies.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.