Cannabis use damages teen brains

[Tom]

TEENAGERS who use cannabis are up to 10 times more likely to develop serious mental illness than those who do not, latest research shows.

 

British scientists have found the drug can cause permanent physical changes to the still-growing brain. That can lead to psychosis and schizophrenia in those worst affected.

They also believe early exposure to cannabis increases the risk of users moving on to such harder drugs as heroin.

 

Cannabis is the most used illicit drug in Australia, executive director of Drug and Alcohol Services Council of SA, Keith Evans, said.

 

Anti-drug campaigners say the study is confirmation of what many long had suspected; there is a direct link between cannabis and mental illness.

 

American and Canadian research has increased the view there is an association between cannabis and psychotic behaviour, Mr Evans said.

 

"For a long time, it was believed cannabis rapidly triggers mental illness in people who were already predisposed to having it," he said. "But there is now increasing evidence and more research is showing that cannabis is not a soft drug as it was assumed and it can trigger mental illness."

 

In the study, revealed on Britain's BBC1 Panorama this month, scientist Yasmin Hurd found the brain did not become "hard-wired" until early adulthood. It had been assumed it was fully formed when children reached adolescence.

 

Tests on young rats exposed to THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, showed long-term damage to the part of the brain controlling the release of dopamine. That is the chemical which transmits "pleasure messages" in enjoyable experiences. Too much dopamine can lead to psychotic symptoms.

 

Rats given THC became far more likely to use a switch which administered small doses of heroin, suggesting a link between cannabis and harder drug use.

 

Clinical psychologist Paul Kassapidis said: "There has been a significant increase in the use of mental health services that appears to be attributed to an ongoing cannabis problem in South Australia.

 

"The experience in general practice is that recreational and ongoing cannabis use is on the increase, creating significant difficulties in personal issues, relationship and employment," he said. "There is growing research that quite clearly indicates regular and recreational cannabis use is harmful. The common-held misconception that cannabis is not a dangerous substance is vastly inaccurate."

 

Professor Hurd, of Sweden's Karolinska Institute, said: "We saw that animals exposed to THC during development took more heroin as adults. They were also more sensitive to stress. They took more heroin when they got even very mild stress. They increased their risk factor, the vulnerability for taking heroin, due to early exposure to THC."

 

Author:Gordon Rayner and Andrea Stylianou

Date:July 22, 2005

Source: www.news.com.au

Copyright:2005 News Limited.

 

Professor Hurd, of Sweden's Karolinska Institute, said: "We saw that animals exposed to THC during development took more heroin as adults. They were also more sensitive to stress. They took more heroin when they got even very mild stress. They increased their risk factor, the vulnerability for taking heroin, due to early exposure to THC."

It's pretty stupid using animals to test human mental processes, we have the ability to reason which would have to play a large part in our choices about other substances.

 

[M1557]

Nah man... rats are awesome!

 

::M1557::

[newguy]

This sounds a bit alarming to me as a youngin :mellow:

I would never try heroin, not because its a hard drug but because i now i'd become addicted i have an addictive as f*#k nature, am curios though.

I was addicted to alchohol before i started using mj daily.

[dicepunk]

Man this reality thing is funnier than it sounds, Makes me glad i'm not a mouse or rat..

"They increased their risk factor, the vulnerability for taking heroin, due to early exposure to THC."

 

Hahahahaha, they increased their risk factor ? LMAO Can you imagine little stoned mice driving around little convertibles, going down the street to see their monkey pimp to get some crack and a cheap mouse floozy...

[Gush]

LMAO Can you imagine little stoned mice driving around little convertibles, going down the street to see their monkey pimp to get some crack and a cheap mouse floozy

LMAO.... ::

The thing is there is a rapidly growing number of young teens that are experimenting with nasty drugs, mainly Ecstacy and Speed, and using large amounts of them.....Now these drugs will FUCK UP a growing mind.....But instead of addressing this problem properly, they point the finger at the Herb.

Oh and I would bet my house, that more young minds have been damaged from valium, dexie's and other socially acceptable DRUGS, than in all the Ten thousand year history we have had with mj. :yingyang

[Tom]

Oh and I would bet my house, that more young minds have been damaged from valium, dexie's and other socially acceptable DRUGS, than in all the Ten thousand year history we have had with mj.

You would win that one with ease, Ritlin alone would see to that.

 

[risingsun]

You would win that one with ease, Ritlin alone would see to that.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Is this the drug they use for Attention Deficit Disorder? I'm pretty sure it is the same one! Too many young people are being prescribed serious medication for behavioural problems.

I've seen it in Japan a few time when young people with supposed behavioural problems (eg wanting to be young people and causing trouble) are given enough drugs to quieten them down. It is really sad that the anti-drug campaigners are focusing on this instead of the profits being made by the drug companies who are selling "medication".

 

Still I dont think it is a good idea for young people to use any substance on a regular basis. Kids just say "no". I know you are not going to listen to me but at least you should listen to the rats!

 

Oh well

[M1557]

Yeah, dexies are fucked up.

 

Its probably got nothing to do with it, but i noticed that all the little kids at my old skool that i knew were on dexies were still crazy little shits, and funy enough they all had fucked up teeth and were prety short compared to their friends.

 

I know it might just be a coincidence... but i swear that shit does shit to your teeth...

 

::M1557::

[F420]

Anyone that reakons they can handle my Autistic son, without ritalin is more than welcome to try.

 

I was against him taking them at first, but after seeing just how much more controlled and his grades at school improving well. He needs them.

[Bubble Bags Australia]

LMAO.... ::

The thing is there is a rapidly growing number of young teens that are experimenting with nasty drugs, mainly Ecstacy and Speed, and using large amounts of them.....Now these drugs will FUCK UP a growing mind.....

 

I have to object to comparing MDMA to hard and harmful drugs like speed and heroin. The thing to remember is that *TRUE* Ecstacy is pure MDMA, it is not cut with speed or orther shit. I am personally very well read up on MDMA and not just a user who doesn't understand the drug. Where I come from, my sources for E were always pure MDMA powder, and I can definetly say that MDMA has changed my life for the better, every time I do it, it gives me amazing, wonderful, beautiful, insightful expereinces where I learn more about myself, my relationship with others and my place in life as well as I bond on a much deeper level with those who are close to me. I am not addicted to it,a and do it responsibly and find that it's a drug you need to resepect and not abuse and od it just any old time or every weekend, but use for special times. I also never have negative or depressive comedowns from it as I do a follow up of 5HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) which is made from a natural herb and turns into seratonin in the blood stream and helps with the re-uptake of seratonin and thus keeps you from being depressed due to seratonin depletion from MDMA.

 

I find that most people who have a negative impression of Ecstacy are people who have only taken E that is cut with speed and gives them a really nasty, speedy, trip that doesnt contain the beautiful benefits of MDMA, and therefore they are jaded on what E (MDMA) really is.