Marijuana use can up psychosis risk

[Carmen813]

Umm...well, that's sort of what this study says.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20100228/hl_hsn/marijuanausecanuppsychosisrisk

ut the association between psychosis and marijuana use is not simple, the researchers noted. They found that people who'd experienced hallucinations earlier in life were also more likely to have used marijuana longer and to use it more frequently.

"This demonstrates the complexity of the relationship: those individuals who were vulnerable to psychosis [i.e., those who had isolated psychotic symptoms] were more likely to commence cannabis use, which could then subsequently contribute to an increased risk of conversion to a non-affective psychotic disorder," wrote the study authors.

Further research is needed to learn more about the mechanisms underlying the association between psychosis and marijuana use, they concluded.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

The only thing that study is designed to show is a correlation between marijuana use (and the dosage, in this case defined as time elapsed since first use) and psychosis. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that correlation is not causation. In fact, as far as I'm aware every study designed to investigate a causal relationship between marijuana use and mental illness has been negative.

 

[Craig234]

The only thing that study is designed to show is a correlation between marijuana use (and the dosage, in this case defined as time elapsed since first use) and psychosis. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that correlation is not causation. In fact, as far as I'm aware every study designed to investigate a causal relationship between marijuana use and mental illness has been negative.

'Correlation does not prove causation' can be overstated.

It's true in the most direct sense - 'a high percentage of pot smokers drink milk'. Drinking milk doesn't cause pot smoking.

That's useful for people who like to throw out nonsensical attacks with such correlations.

But more properly used, correlations can be a very useful tool for identifying likely causation.

If smokers have 100 times the rate of lung cancer as non-smokers, that's pretty suggestive.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Well I didn't say that correlation can't prove causation. Some times it's the only tool available and it can indeed be used to prove causation to a high degree of certainty if we use well designed studies. What I said is that correlation is not causation. A single small study like this proves nothing about causation. It's not designed to prove causation and no causal claims can be made from the results of this study.

On the other hand, many studies have been done to investigate a causal link and to my knowledge have all returned negative results.

Edit - I just did some reading and it looks like my knowledge is out of date. There have been some positive studies in this regard.

 

[Tab]

Old news.

It's true that marijuana can increase the risk of certain mental illnesses or increase the severity of symptoms.

An easy solution to this is to not smoke pot.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

The only thing marijuana has been verified to increase risk for is legal problems.

 

[FaaR]

The only thing marijuana has been verified to increase risk for is legal problems.

Also, the user's weight.

 

[JSt0rm]

I would think people with a psychosis would attempt to self medicate without the proper awareness. Just like people with depression sometimes self medicate with alcohol.

 

[woolfe9999]

Well I didn't say that correlation can't prove causation. Some times it's the only tool available and it can indeed be used to prove causation to a high degree of certainty if we use well designed studies. What I said is that correlation is not causation. A single small study like this proves nothing about causation. It's not designed to prove causation and no causal claims can be made from the results of this study.

On the other hand, many studies have been done to investigate a causal link and to my knowledge have all returned negative results.

Edit - I just did some reading and it looks like my knowledge is out of date. There have been some positive studies in this regard.

The correlation /= causation argument doesn't seem applicable here, as the relationship identified in the study is rather complex, and presumably the standard method of using a control group was employed. The conclusion is that early, isolated psychotic episodes *lead* to marijuana use, which in turn correlates with isolated psychosis turning into chronic psychosis. Presumably, these conclusions were formed based on a control versus experimental group, with pot use being the independent variable.

What the study doesn't say is that pot use can cause increased risk of psychosis in those who have no background predisposition toward it. In other words, it seems to aggravate an existing predisposition, rather than creating a risk out of thin air.

- wolf

 

[MotF Bane]

In similar news, drinking alcohol can destroy your liver and eventually kill you. Which one is worse?

 

[Tab]

The correlation /= causation argument doesn't seem applicable here, as the relationship identified in the study is rather complex, and presumably the standard method of using a control group was employed. The conclusion is that early, isolated psychotic episodes *lead* to marijuana use, which in turn correlates with isolated psychosis turning into chronic psychosis. Presumably, these conclusions were formed based on a control versus experimental group, with pot use being the independent variable.

What the study doesn't say is that pot use can cause increased risk of psychosis in those who have no background predisposition toward it. In other words, it seems to aggravate an existing predisposition, rather than creating a risk out of thin air.

- wolf

Exactly!

Basically, amphetamine can do the same thing. You know, Tynol.

 

[ebaycj]

Exactly!

Basically, amphetamine can do the same thing. You know, Tynol.

Tylenol is acetaminophen, not amphetamine.

 

[wirelessenabled]

Also, the user's weight.

Link?

 

[CallMeJoe]

...What the study doesn't say is that pot use can cause increased risk of psychosis in those who have no background predisposition toward it. In other words, it seems to aggravate an existing predisposition, rather than creating a risk out of thin air...

Another interpretation is that psychotics merely have a higher probability of habituation to marijuana use.

 

[cwjerome]

Marijuana use can up psychosis risk

Moonbeam?

 

[FaaR]

Link?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munchies_(food_craving)

 

[Moonbeam]

Wiki:

A wide variety of central nervous system diseases, from both external poisons and internal physiologic illness, can produce symptoms of psychosis.

However, many people have unusual and unshared (distinct) experiences of what they perceive to be different realities without fitting the clinical definition of psychosis. For example, many people in the general population have experienced hallucinations related to religious or paranormal experience.[1][2] As a result, it has been argued that psychosis is simply an extreme state of consciousness that falls beyond the norms experienced by most.[3] In this view, people who are clinically found to be psychotic may simply be having particularly intense or distressing experiences (see schizotypy).
-----------
M: Psychosis, then can be an unusually intense experience that comes from the upwelling of buried feelings. This can be facilitated by marijuana because ones normal defenses can be disrupted by the drug experience.

When folk in a non therapeutic situation or with a therapist who doesn't know much, opens the door to memory of the past including the re experiencing of traumatic feelings, the attempt to reseal that doorway can lead to a psychotic experience as there is nothing more painful than trying to suppress what is trying to awaken. The fear, because one has no idea one is going back into the past, can be enormous.

All our rage and anger are a defense against that happening.

 

[IGBT]

the problem indicator is the desire to intoxicate.

 

[brandonbull]

In similar news, drinking alcohol can destroy your liver and eventually kill you. Which one is worse?

Do we need to allow more harmful substances because we already have some?

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Do we need to allow more harmful substances because we already have some?

Pot is about as harmless as anything enjoyable can possibly be.

 

[soccerballtux]

I beg to differ. My friend's father's slight mental-weirdness developed into Schitzophrenia, hearing voices, etc. after he smoke 3 times over the period of a week or two.
He thought people might think he was crazy if he developed Tardive Diskinesia (30% risk from the medication back then, the stuff now has much lower risk of developing TD) and couldn't control random arm movements, so he decided to stop taking it.
Divorced my friend's mom, and lives in a homeless shelter now with bibles around him to protect him from "the evil spirits".
Friend's mom couldn't afford to put him through college so he's graduating with debt halfway to six figures (but thankfully it's from a good university and he's got a job lined up, he should be able to pay it down in several years). But anyways, point is story could have gone a lot different. Totally screwed his life up.

 

[jhu]

I beg to differ. My friend's father's slight mental-weirdness developed into Schitzophrenia, hearing voices, etc. after he smoke 3 times over the period of a week or two.
He thought people might think he was crazy if he developed Tardive Diskinesia (30% risk from the medication back then, the stuff now has much lower risk of developing TD) and couldn't control random arm movements, so he decided to stop taking it.
Divorced my friend's mom, and lives in a homeless shelter now with bibles around him to protect him from "the evil spirits".
Friend's mom couldn't afford to put him through college so he's graduating with debt halfway to six figures (but thankfully it's from a good university and he's got a job lined up, he should be able to pay it down in several years). But anyways, point is story could have gone a lot different. Totally screwed his life up.

And how do you know he wouldn't have developed schizophrenia regardless?

 

[marincounty]

Of course marijuana use leads to psychosis, everytime someone mentions legalizing it right wingers go psychotic.

 

[ch33zw1z]

The study is based on questioning 3100 people about their marijuana use. I didn't see where any questions were asked regarding predisposition to mental health issues, or if any other drugs were also taken in the persons life. In my opinion, an extremely incomplete study and incomplete answers. Correlation does not equal causation...

 

[ebaycj]

the problem indicator is the desire to intoxicate.

Why?