Monday, December 21, 2009

Daily Pot Smoking May Hasten Onset of Psychosis

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091220144936.htm

ScienceDaily (Dec. 21, 2009) — Progression to daily marijuana use in adolescence may hasten the onset of symptoms leading up to psychosis, an Emory University study finds. The study was published in the November issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

The researchers analyzed data from 109 hospitalized patients who were experiencing their first psychotic episode. The results showed that patients who had a history of using marijuana, or cannabis, and increased to daily pot smoking experienced both psychotic and pre-psychotic symptoms at earlier ages.

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Marijuana is the most abused illicit substance among people with schizophrenia, the most extreme form of psychosis, and previous research has shown that smoking pot is likely a risk factor for the disease.

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Posted by Patricia at 9:59 PM
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

all this indicates is that people with psychosis (pre-symptomatic or not ) like to smoke pot, not that smoking pot "causes" psychosis.

if you look at rates of psychosis in the u.s. and compare it to rates of marijuana consumption - if this were true, you'd see massive spikes in rates of psychosis at times when consumption of marijuana increased. ie, before people smoked pot in the us (early 1900s), rates would have been lower. likewise, in the 60s, the rates would have shot up. they didn't- rates of psychosis/schizophrenia remain a constant 1% of the population, regardless of whether consumption is high or low - meaning that there isn't a direct correlation between consuming pot and schizophrenia.

SO.... this study is confusing what is potentially symptom (ie, the psychotic inclined mind is also drawn to smoking pot) with a cause, which is A HUGE mistake.

11:04 AM

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