Smoking just one cannabis joint raises danger of mental illness by 40%

Lemon law

Lifer
Nov 6, 2005
20,984
3
0
There have been a pile of such studies and most of them have extremely poor methodologies.
Rather than do the required research to give a valid scientific rebuttal---the end comment of the very link you cite casts serious doubts regarding the study and is somewhat proof positive this study should go into the garbage pan of junk studies.

But end of article comment---"However, others questioned the link, pointing out there has been little change in rates of schizophrenia in recent years despite the rise in cannabis use and the increasing strength of the drug."

In other words---you have an increase in the rate of use and strength of the drug----and if the study's conclusion is correct---and cannabis use increases the rate of mental illness---then the mere lack of such a predicted increase in mental illness frequency following increase in cannabis use tells you conclusion of study full of shit and the research methodologies must be flawed.

And also proving the other statistical truism---figures don't lie but liars figure.

Or to put it another way---what hokum are the studies author's smoking? They must be high on drugs. Or mentally ill. And worse yet, the cognitive dis constance of flawed studies cause distress in heartsurgeon---drink content of two bed pans and call us in the morning. This sound scientific advice can reduce the incidence of forum trolling at least 40%.
 

1EZduzit

Lifer
Feb 4, 2002
11,834
1
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Originally posted by: Lemon law
There have been a pile of such studies and most of them have extremely poor methodologies.
Rather than do the required research to give a valid scientific rebuttal---the end comment of the very link you cite casts serious doubts regarding the study and is somewhat proof positive this study should go into the garbage pan of junk studies.

But end of article comment---"However, others questioned the link, pointing out there has been little change in rates of schizophrenia in recent years despite the rise in cannabis use and the increasing strength of the drug."

In other words---you have an increase in the rate of use and strength of the drug----and if the study's conclusion is correct---and cannabis use increases the rate of mental illness---then the mere lack of such a predicted increase in mental illness frequency following increase in cannabis use tells you conclusion of study full of shit and the research methodologies must be flawed.

And also proving the other statistical truism---figures don't lie but liars figure.

QFT

/thread
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
72,327
6,040
126
I'm sure you could get the same data studying ingrown toenails.

The other interesting related data is that the incidence of schizophrenia has not changed in 30 years and remains a small fraction of the population.

And of course this data will be touted as reason to continue to waste enough billions of dollars of taxes, funding 12 century religious ethics and prison corporation profits imprisoning a bigger percentage of people than any other country in the world, as we would need to find ten cures for schizophrenia and treat other forms of mental illness.

 

yllus

Elite Member & Lifer
Aug 20, 2000
20,577
432
126
I would think that common sense would slap you in the face with the fact that this can't be true.
 

Lemon law

Lifer
Nov 6, 2005
20,984
3
0
Originally posted by: yllus
I would think that common sense would slap you in the face with the fact that this can't be true.

There in lies the rub yllus---too many people don't have any common sense. And then believe anything they see come down the pike that they want to believe. And then they never let the facts confuse them.
 

piasabird

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
17,168
60
91
Maybe only the dregs of society are smoking pot to begin with. Think about it. You know pot is illegal but you smoke it anyway. First you have to be willing to break the law to do this. Maybe the people that smoke pot already have mental issues and they smoke pot because they already have problems.

When I was being treated for Alcohol addiction they taught us that drinking one ounce of alcohol immediately kills brain cells. However, knowing this the government did not ban alcohol. Smoking cigarettes may have a similar effect. Many drugs have side effects.

The abuse of many legal drugs may produce the same effects. These head shrinkers love to prescribe happy pills to their patients. Some people would rather be drugged up than have to face reality. Why do you think people drink alcohol?
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
And yet after I smoke 4 grams of weed in 15 minutes, the quickness in which I can call this study fallacious and idiotic and unbelievable and inaccurate decreases by a mere 12%.
 

Mxylplyx

Diamond Member
Mar 21, 2007
4,197
101
106
Whenever I read any article about a new study, especially one about cannabis use, I stop reading. Studies are funded with a particular outcome in mind, and they are going to adjust their data to get it.

Oh yeah, be careful with what you say about MJ. Dave might call the forum police to come get you.
 

alchemize

Lifer
Mar 24, 2000
11,489
0
0
I think this "study of studies" could be VERY easily proved/disproved. Heck, Canada is chock full of pot smokers - see if they have a higher incidence of mental illness per capita than the US...
 

thraashman

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
11,063
1,464
126
I love how none of you have read the study, just a brief article on it. And you immediately come in to defend your buddy pot. Well I think we can guess who the pot smokers in ATPN are! I don't care what the study says in the end, I've seen enough of the effects of pot on people that I will never smoke it. I really don't want to end up as stupid as those people are.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,085
5,618
126
Some of the effects they cite as results of Pot Smoking were a big "No shit" from me. They are AKA, Hallucinations and are commonly known and desired effects. I seriously question the results of this "study".
 

alchemize

Lifer
Mar 24, 2000
11,489
0
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Originally posted by: thraashman
I love how none of you have read the study...I don't care what the study says in the end

LOL...

FWIW, nobody is reading the study because it costs $30 to see it unless you have a subscription. I don't smoke, but if I had cancer you bet I would, and governments should be sponsoring real studies, not meta-studies.

Here's the free abstract:

Summary
Background

Whether cannabis can cause psychotic or affective symptoms that persist beyond transient intoxication is unclear. We systematically reviewed the evidence pertaining to cannabis use and occurrence of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes.

Methods

We searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ISI Web of Knowledge, ISI Proceedings, ZETOC, BIOSIS, LILACS, and MEDCARIB from their inception to September, 2006, searched reference lists of studies selected for inclusion, and contacted experts. Studies were included if longitudinal and population based. 35 studies from 4804 references were included. Data extraction and quality assessment were done independently and in duplicate.
Findings

There was an increased risk of any psychotic outcome in individuals who had ever used cannabis (pooled adjusted odds ratio=1·41, 95% CI 1·20?1·65). Findings were consistent with a dose-response effect, with greater risk in people who used cannabis most frequently (2·09, 1·54?2·84). Results of analyses restricted to studies of more clinically relevant psychotic disorders were similar. Depression, suicidal thoughts, and anxiety outcomes were examined separately. Findings for these outcomes were less consistent, and fewer attempts were made to address non-causal explanations, than for psychosis. A substantial confounding effect was present for both psychotic and affective outcomes.

Interpretation

The evidence is consistent with the view that cannabis increases risk of psychotic outcomes independently of confounding and transient intoxication effects, although evidence for affective outcomes is less strong. The uncertainty about whether cannabis causes psychosis is unlikely to be resolved by further longitudinal studies such as those reviewed here. However, we conclude that there is now sufficient evidence to warn young people that using cannabis could increase their risk of developing a psychotic illness later in life.

 

yllus

Elite Member & Lifer
Aug 20, 2000
20,577
432
126
Originally posted by: thraashman
I love how none of you have read the study, just a brief article on it. And you immediately come in to defend your buddy pot. Well I think we can guess who the pot smokers in ATPN are! I don't care what the study says in the end, I've seen enough of the effects of pot on people that I will never smoke it. I really don't want to end up as stupid as those people are.
I always find this kind of post nonsensical. What do you expect to happen on a Web forum, people to post an article about a study and 50 people to reply with, "Interesting, I shall reserve comment until I read the full study"?

Based on historical evidence (anecdotal and not) this is extremely dubious. Smoking one joint jumps the danger level by a full 40%? Okay, let's go by another study saying that 16.8 per cent of Canadians used marijuana in 2004, and only 6.1 per cent in Holland did the same. But Canada has an incidence rate of mental illness of 22.10%, and Holland a rate of 22.10% (Source). Why didn't those ~5 million Canadians who smoked at least once hugely spike our rate of mental illness.

Lastly, what an idiotic thing to end your post with. I don't do any kind of drug. I don't even like beer. I don't have to be a KKK member to defend their right to think and say what they wish to say.
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Originally posted by: yllus
Originally posted by: thraashman
I love how none of you have read the study, just a brief article on it. And you immediately come in to defend your buddy pot. Well I think we can guess who the pot smokers in ATPN are! I don't care what the study says in the end, I've seen enough of the effects of pot on people that I will never smoke it. I really don't want to end up as stupid as those people are.
I always find this kind of post nonsensical. What do you expect to happen on a Web forum, people to post an article about a study and 50 people to reply with, "Interesting, I shall reserve comment until I read the full study"?

Based on historical evidence (anecdotal and not) this is extremely dubious. Smoking one joint jumps the danger level by a full 40%? Okay, let's go by another study saying that 16.8 per cent of Canadians used marijuana in 2004, and only 6.1 per cent in Holland did the same. But Canada has an incidence rate of mental illness of 22.10%, and Holland a rate of 22.10% (Source). Why didn't those ~5 million Canadians who smoked at least once hugely spike our rate of mental illness.

Lastly, what an idiotic thing to end your post with. I don't do any kind of drug. I don't even like beer. I don't have to be a KKK member to defend their right to think and say what they wish to say.
Ownage+1

 

alchemize

Lifer
Mar 24, 2000
11,489
0
0
Here's some more interesting information :D

Two of the authors of the study were invited experts on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Cannabis Review in 2005. Several authors reported being paid to attend drug company-sponsored meetings related to marijuana, and one received consulting fees from companies that make antipsychotic medications.

Why can't there be serious, independent studies?
 

CycloWizard

Lifer
Sep 10, 2001
12,348
1
81
Originally posted by: alchemize
Here's some more interesting information :D

Two of the authors of the study were invited experts on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Cannabis Review in 2005. Several authors reported being paid to attend drug company-sponsored meetings related to marijuana, and one received consulting fees from companies that make antipsychotic medications.

Why can't there be serious, independent studies?
Every research conference I go to is sponsored by a related drug company. I get a free tote bag from them when I check in at the conference. Does this make me biased? I don't think so.

For everyone dismissing the study, have any of you read it, or do you generally discount research out of hand when it disagrees with your prefab opinion? I haven't read it (nor will I), but I think it's pretty ridiculous that everyone is so quick to condemn it. I don't care one way or the other whether it's right, but I do have a problem with ignorant people judging scientific work (especially when they're reviewing one of my papers :p).
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Originally posted by: CycloWizard
Every research conference I go to is sponsored by a related drug company. I get a free tote bag from them when I check in at the conference. Does this make me biased? I don't think so.
Actually it does, if only a little. Why do you think companies give out gifts?
For everyone dismissing the study, have any of you read it, or do you generally discount research out of hand when it disagrees with your prefab opinion? I haven't read it (nor will I), but I think it's pretty ridiculous that everyone is so quick to condemn it. I don't care one way or the other whether it's right, but I do have a problem with ignorant people judging scientific work (especially when they're reviewing one of my papers :p).
Use some common sense. Nobody here will read it because it's a waste of time. If I release a 20 page study about how saying the word "jilted" 500 times every day when I wake up ensures that I will never die, are you really going to read that study or just call me a quack and be done with it?

 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
72,327
6,040
126
What heartsurgeon does not realize, along with most other people, is that we are all profoundly mentally ill. And this is a life sentence for all those who don't know it. As with any form of mental illness, the curse of unconscious self hate, the first step in a cure is awareness that you are sick. One of the aspects of marijuana is that it changes awareness and opens the mind to the possibility that what we see and who we are is a variable mental state. The pill that mother gives you doesn't do anything at all.

In the sea there are riches beyond compare, but if you seek safety it is on the shore. A saying.