re: Someone explain marijuana to me

quote:

---

Weed gave me life long anxiety attacks

---

Weed doesn't give you anxiety. That's a genetic thing. I've read that it promotes panic attacks, but it never really did that to me and Lord knows I smoked a shitload in my past. But to say that the weed is what gave you lifelong attacks, is false.

quote:

---

You also quoted an age range in which mental health issues tend to crop up for people. Unless you can link a meta-analysis that states psychosis is occurring in large groups of people at that age who are using marijuana, then you don’t have much evidence of causation. Just potential correlation.

---

The 2011 study was published in BMJ and had a cohort of almost 2,000 people. It showed that cannabis can induce psychosis that operates on a different neuro-pathway from schizophrenia (for instance). So it is a unique thing apart from standard mental illnesses. They also showed, as I said, that it wasn't a case of crazy people using cannabis but cannabis causing people to be crazy.

So, yes, you're right. People in their teens and 20's are at the prime age when most mental illness begins, so it's always a question of "did the drug really cause it?" The researchers are fully aware of that and are controlling for it in their studies.

And no there is no meta-analysis because there's not enough studies at this point to do one. But the above mentioned study was published in BMJ, one of the most prominent medical journals in the world.

Here's an except from an article from Psychiatric Times:

quote:

---

Findings from a study that examined presynaptic dopaminergic function in patients who have experienced CIP indicate that dopamine synthesis in the striatum has an inverse relationship with cannabis use. Long-term users had reduced dopamine synthesis, although no association was seen between dopaminergic function and CIP.6 This observation may provide insight into a future treatment hypothesis for CIP because it implies a different mechanism of psychosis compared with schizophrenia. As cannabis may not induce the same dopaminergic alterations seen in schizophrenia, CIP may require alternative approaches—most notably addressing associated cannabis use disorder.

---

They are saying cannabis induced psychosis operates differently in the brain than schizophrenia.

quote:

---

There has been much controversy surrounding the validity of a CIP diagnosis and whether it is a distinct clinical entity or an early manifestation of schizophrenia. In patients being treated for schizophrenia, those with a history of CIP had an earlier onset of schizophrenia than patients who never used cannabis.8 Evidence suggests an association between patients who have received treatment for CIP and later development of schizophrenia spectrum disorder. However, it has been difficult to distinguish whether CIP is an early manifestation of schizophrenia or a catalyst. Nonetheless, there is a clear association between the 2 disorders.

---

Basically they admit it is still difficult to tell whether CIP is a part of schizophrenia or a catalyst for the disease. Most likely what's happening is weed is causing people genetically suspectible to psychosis to experience it. In other words, it is triggering the gene(s). It is possible, if not likely, that these people would never have any problems if they didn't smoke weed.

Also the DSM-V now lists Cannabis Induced Psychosis (CIP) as a diagnosable mental illness. This wouldn't make it into the DSM without a lot of evidence behind it.

quote:

---

I need some good wax in br

---

Good luck finding anything worthwhile there. I picked up some honeycomb recently. Been enjoying that, "mango jack".

It’s telling when someone quotes excerpts of articles that they’re unwilling to link.

Im high right now. In bed at 11. Wont take 10 mins for me to pass out. Will get my 7 hours sleep and will be up and at my desk tomorrow at work with no hangover or ill effects.