Friday, July 27, 2007

Cannabis doubles chance of psychosis



Cannabis doubles chance of psychosis

Bellinda Kontominas Medical Reporter
July 28, 2007
smh.com.au

PEOPLE who smoke cannabis regularly more than double their risk of developing psychotic illness later in life, according to research that calls for increased awareness of the dangers of the drug.
Researchers found that among all cannabis users, including social and habitual users, the lifetime risk of psychotic illness increased by 41 per cent.
More than one third of Australians over 14 years of age have smoked cannabis, or marijuana, at least once in their life and one in 20 have used the drug in the past week, according to figures on drug use from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Of the 1.8 million Australians who have recently used cannabis, one in six use it every day and a further one in five use it every week.
The study found the increased risk for psychotic illness was relative to the dose. Those who smoked cannabis regularly were at an increased risk of between 50 per cent and 200 per cent of developing schizophrenia and disorders with symptoms including hallucinations or delusions.
This also suggested that stopping cannabis use would decrease the risk, said the lead author, Dr Stanley Zammit, a psychiatrist from Cardiff University and Bristol University in Britain.
Previous studies have had trouble unravelling the link between cannabis use and psychotic disorder. Smoking the drug could be a symptom of psychotic illness, rather than a cause, the research found. The researchers re-examined data from 35 international studies on psychotic illness and cannabis use involving more than 100,000 participants. Factors such as pre-existing mental illness, the use of other illicit drugs, IQ and social class were filtered out of the sample to try to isolate the effect of cannabis.
Dr Zammit said there was now sufficient evidence to warn young people that using cannabis could increase their risk of developing psychotic illness later in life, despite a lack of evidence to confirm a cause-and-effect relationship.
The risk was relatively low but significant, he said.
One in 100 people had a chance of developing severe psychotic illness. That risk increased to 1.4 in 100 if they had ever smoked cannabis.
In an accompanying comment, Merete Nordentoft and Carsten Hjorthoej, of the department of Psychiatry at the Copenhagen University Hospital, said cannabis had long been considered a harmless drug and its potential long-term effects on psychosis had been overlooked. "There is a need to warn the public of these dangers, as well as establish treatment to help young, frequent cannabis users," they wrote.
Cannabis accounted for 45 per cent of hospital admissions due to drug-induced psychosis in 2003-04, according to a study published in the Australian Medical Journal. John Saunders, Professor of Alcohol and Drug studies at the University of Queensland, said the latest research strengthened the need for increased education on the dangers of cannabis.




Why should we care about cannabis?

Approximately 4 per cent of the world's adults-some 162 million people-use cannabis every year, making it the world's most widely used illicit drug. In spite of this, many basic facts about cannabis remain obscure.

By Ted Leggett

The 2006 UNODC World Drug Report devotes special attention to cannabis, arguing that the world should take this drug more seriously. Of particular concern are the growth in the drug's potency and indications that cannabis-related mental health risks may have been underestimated.

As cannabis can be grown in virtually any country, unlike most other illicit drugs, it is difficult to establish the exact origin of the world's supply. Very few Governments can give an accurate estimate of the number of hectares grown in their own countries, and the amount of cannabis these fields produce can vary widely. Furthermore, cannabis is increasingly grown indoors in the developed nations, which means that users can, and do, grow their own.

Our understanding of cannabis consumption patterns is little better. In most markets, cannabis is relatively cheap, and unlike other drugs, it is not sold by precise weight. Surveys indicate that most users get the drug for free or buy it through friends and acquaintances. Casual users generally consume cannabis in groups, and only a small amount of the drug is necessary to produce the desired high. Most users would find it difficult to say how much cannabis they actually smoke.

Diverse global markets

Cannabis is the dominant illicit drug in every region of the world and its use is growing almost everywhere. While not every cannabis market is transnational, in the sense that production occurs in a different country from consumption, the problem is truly international.

In economic terms, North America is the largest cannabis-consuming region. Mexico alone is responsible for more than one-third of global herbal cannabis seizures. In spite of an aggressive eradication campaign, the country still supplies a large share of the massive United States market. High-potency indoor cannabis has come to dominate the Canadian market, which is another source of significant imports in the US.

USE OF CANNABIS 2003-2004 (or latest year available)
Source: World Drug Report 2006

(click on image to enlarge)

Africa comes second in the world in terms of herbal cannabis seizures, which is remarkable given the continent's limited law enforcement capacity. Africa is also home to the world's leading producer of cannabis resin, Morocco. Southern, West and East Africa all contain large cannabis-producing countries, but there is little specific data available about the scale of cultivation.

It is difficult to reconcile what is known about cannabis production in Central and South America with the available information on the extent of cannabis use in the region. Although surveys indicate a relatively small user population, large cannabis seizures take place regularly. Moreover, with the exception of Colombia, no country is known to be a major exporter beyond the region. Paraguay is reportedly the main source of the cannabis consumed in the Southern Cone and Brazil, and may be the single largest producer of herbal cannabis in the world.

The risk of becoming dependent on cannabis is higher
than most casual users suspect. Around 9 per cent
of those who try cannabis are unable to stop using it.

Oceania has the world's highest annual usage levels, including those of Papua New Guinea, where an estimated 30 per cent of the adult population consumes the drug annually. Most countries in this region appear to be self-sufficient in their cannabis supply.

While much of Europe still prefers cannabis resin to herbal cannabis, this appears to be changing in many important markets. The Netherlands, which has been in the vanguard of the indoor cannabis revolution, is named as an important supplier to at least 20 other countries. In Eastern Europe, Albania plays a similar role. Most of the cannabis resin in Europe continues to be imported from Morocco, however.

Per capita usage levels are low in Asia, but because of its large population, the continent is home to the largest absolute number of cannabis users, an estimated one-third of the global total. A national survey has shown that 2.3 million people are dependent on cannabis in India alone. Central Asia is home to the world's largest wild cannabis fields, but it remains unclear to what extent these crops are harvested.

(click on image to enlarge)

Potency growth and mental health implications

In recent years, the potency of sinsemilla cannabis, made from the unfertilized buds of the female plant, has doubled, according to studies done in key markets such as the Netherlands, the United States and Canada. This is not surprising as cannabis breeders in these countries have been hard at work creating a more potent drug since the 1970s. And while sinsemilla is currently less widespread than herbal cannabis (marijuana) and cannabis resin (hashish), the market for high-potency, indoor-produced sinsemilla appears to be growing in many key consumption countries.

Recent research indicates that cannabis consumption may have greater mental health implications than previously believed. These two trends may in fact be related: as high-potency cannabis grows in popularity, the risks of consumption may become more immediate.

While more research is required to determine the impact of the 'new,' more potent cannabis, there has been an increase in the number of people complaining of 'unexpected effects' from consuming cannabis in emergency rooms in the United States. Demand for treatment for cannabis-related problems in the US and Europe has increased as well.

TYPES OF CANNABIS

Several drug types can be produced from the cannabis plant.
They fall into three main categories:

  • Herbal cannabis-the leaves and flowers of the plant.
    Also known as marijuana, ganja and other street names.
  • Cannabis resin-the pressed secretions of the plant,
    commonly referred to as hashish in Western countries
    and charas in India.
  • Cannabis oil.

Finally, the risk of becoming dependent on cannabis is higher than most casual users suspect. Around 9 per cent of those who try cannabis are unable to stop using it. Even when used only once, cannabis can produce panic attacks, paranoia, psychotic symptoms and other negative acute effects. The drug may also precipitate psychosis in vulnerable individuals and aggravate symptoms in diagnosed schizophrenics.

Cannabis is the dominant illicit drug in every region of the world,
and its use is growing almost everywhere.

Ted Leggett is an expert in the Research and Analysis Section of UNODC.

For more information, please consult the World Drug Report at www.unodc.org/world_drug_report.html

15 comments:

Oldfart said...

I thought this blog was called Africa Science????
The study mentioned was very cautious of its results and included statements saying , in effect, that they could be totally wrong. Even if they were 100% correct, you are talking about a rate that goes from 1 in 100 people (the "normal" incidence of psychosis) to 1.4 in 100 people. This doesn't begin to compare with the rates of alcoholism, deaths due to traffic accidents, deaths due to other drugs, number of people made into felons and incarcerated. And, btw, I don't use cannabis and have never liked it.

Oldfart said...

Read here for a more realistic analysis of this study.

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Unknown said...

It doesn't take a scientific study to prove that long term recreational use of marijuana changes brain chemistry: this is easily observable to those who pay close attention to personality changes in users, over time.

My brother smoked pot fairly heavily for four years before he became schizophrenic, and the only other hardcore pot user I've ever known eventually became bipolar. Even if there other more harmful things in life, people who smoke pot need to realize they are permanently affecting their health.

Unknown said...

Maybe that's right, but you can't deny that cannabis got their ''mystical'' power to cured several types of cancer, I'm against the weed, but if you can leave your cancer off with that, even if you get psychotic later or have to use viagra online
, well, go to town!!!

Emile said...

Total BS.
I have smoked cannabis for more than 20 years, have no signs of any kind of illness and actually I am far more loving, sensitive and creative than before I started. This is another shitty attack from the lobbies who wants this miracolous plant to be suppressed. Look at the facts how many people destroy their lifes with alcohol instead, real cause of social disorder, violence and death. No one has EVER died from cannabis, you morons. Stop perpretrating such barbaric proibitionism which leads millions to jail for the simple choice of using a PLANT rather than man made drugs. LEGALIZE CANNABIS!! CANNABIS = FOOD, FIBER, PAPER, OIL, PLASTIC and MEDICINES, ALL PERFECTLY SUSTAINABLE!(and with the bonus to make you nicely high without horrible hungovers next day!)

drenchrom said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
drenchrom said...

a function of marijuana is that it dissolves ones personal delusions over time. this is where the link to schizophrenia comes in. some people lean so heavily on certain delusions that when said delusions dissolve they become schizophrenic. it is simple. as with all psychedelics, this must always be taken into account. consider how our world socioeconomic system is insane, it therefore requires an insane population to perpetuate it. only one state of mind is permitted. the psychedelic experience is a guide towards sanity. and to disagree one must have had experienced it subjectively to have any basis for argument.

BunBun4life said...

41% is not 'more than doubling' risk of psychosis.

Also, what a bunch of fucking shit. My mother was a hippie since the 60's and I have known so many people who smoked marijuana my entire life since I was 5 and I'm almost 50. NONE of them have any weird psychosis problems, and most of the old hippies still smoke, they've been smoking marijuana for 50 years.

Marijuana is proven to help depression and greatly LOWER suicide rates in men. (study was only done on men)

I believe there is a chance that if you are already having schizophrenic leanings that smoking marijuana may speed up the process and cause one to have a sudden psychotic break. Most people don't get schizophrenia instantly, it develops over a period of time.

Every 'anecdotal' story I've read (and they are anecdotal because there is NO EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE, your headline is misleading and wrong) usually the person who 'goes nuts' after smoking is in their mid to late teens, or very early 20's. PRIME TIME for the appearance of schizophrenia.

As far as the one dude whose friend was bi-polar.

It is also proven that most bipolars are alcoholics or drug users prior to being diagnosed because they feel like crap and are self medicating to get away from those bad feelings.

Also I have read several actual research reports, and they state that research 'suggests a connection' between marijuana and blah blah blah

SUGGESTING a CONNECTION means shit. That is just a lame way of lying that they could not prove anything.

Unknown said...

Cannabis (/ˈkænəbɪs/; Cán-na-bis) is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative varieties, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre (hemp), for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug. Industrial hemp products are made from Cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fiber. To satisfy the UN Narcotics Convention, some Cannabis strains have been bred to produce minimal levels of THC, the principal psychoactive constituent responsible for the "high" associated with marijuana. Marijuana consists of the dried flowers of Cannabis plants selectively bred to produce high levels of THC and other psychoactive cannabinoids. Various extracts including hashish and hash oil are also produced from the plant.

Best regards,
Richard | Carl Mont Drugstore

Unknown said...

Cannabis is an annual, dioecious, flowering herb. The leaves are palmately compound or digitate, with serrate leaflets. The first pair of leaves usually have a single leaflet, the number gradually increasing up to a maximum of about thirteen leaflets per leaf (usually seven or nine), depending on variety and growing conditions. At the top of a flowering plant, this number again diminishes to a single leaflet per leaf. The lower leaf pairs usually occur in an opposite leaf arrangement and the upper leaf pairs in an alternate arrangement on the main stem of a mature plant.

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Michael Steven | Cialis Online

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budexpressnow said...
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