Where there's smoke - there's propaganda

[mull]

A new report titled "Where there's smoke - cannabis and mental health" has been released.

It was featured (splashed) in our local rag yesterday for some lovely boxing day anticannabis diatribe, no doubt!

 

The link to it is here - http://www.mhca.org.au/documents/MHCACannabisfinalLR.pdf

 

Heads up to Niall, Jess and our other cruisaders.

 

I haven't had chance to swallow it all yet. Found section one summary to negate the value of the whole study.

Funny enough, another government funded study into a phony issue. Likely better entitled "Where there's smoke and mirrors - governent misappropiation of funds and propaganda."

 

Onto some quotes from the document..

 

"Recent public debate has also raised conjecture over the increasing potency of cannabis. Hydroponically grown

cannabis, the advent of European-bred sinsemella cannabis plants and increased use of more potent heads have

all been identified as reasons for an increase in the potency of cannabis used in Australia. However there is a lack of

data to support this assertion."

 

Sooo we are.... guessing please give us more funding to guess some more...

 

 

"In short, the evidence shows that:

• Cannabis use precipitates schizophrenia in people who have a family history of that mental illness

• There is a 2-3 times greater incidence of psychotic symptoms among those who used cannabis,

epidemiological data shows that cannabis cannot be considered a major causal factor

• More frequent cannabis use is associated with higher relapse rates for people with psychosis and more

symptoms were associated with increased risk of cannabis relapse

• Cannabis can induce schizophrenia-like symptoms in otherwise healthy individuals

• There is little evidence to support the idea that people commence using cannabis because of pre-existing illness

however it may be a factor in continuing to use cannabis (to alleviate the symptoms)

• There is no clear causal link between cannabis and depression, however there appears to be a link between early

and regular cannabis use and later depression

• The link between suicide and cannabis use remains to be clarified

• There has been too little research into the links between cannabis and other mental illnesses such as bipolar

disorder and personality disorders to draw conclusions

• There is no doubt that heavy cannabis users suffer significant cognitive impairment for up to a week after

cessation of use but there does not appear to be either lasting or irreversible cognitive impairment"

 

Geepers creepers, should have made all that para in bold.

Ok take to task the cannabis schizophrenia association.

Now their statement was, frequent cannabis use can precipitate (or hasten) the illness. Then they say in black and white, that cannabis use is not causal.

 

Next, cannabis can induce schizophrenia like symptoms in otherwize healthy individuals.

Ok here is a list of the syptoms :

'Positive Symptoms' - Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, disorganized behaviour, and catatonic behavour.

 

'Negative symptoms' - Withdrawal/ loss of motivation, numbing/ loss of feeling, poverty of speech, and cognitive impairment.

 

All this list is nicely claused by this statement here - "It is also possible a person may have schizophrenia but be symptom-free. The symptoms may only emerge during an acute episode."

 

 

So in other words cannabis can induce symptoms very much like say, being really over tired/ over worked. Or perhaps lacking in a proper diet; having experienced a great loss; depression; anxiety etc etc. (!)

 

 

 

Also, the all inspiring LINK that keeps getting mentioned. Well the link to later depression, means the depression was already present. The link is cannabis use alone, soothes depression. True harm minimization education needs to recognize the negative effects of nicotine especially, yet never does.

 

The link is nicotine in the mix!

 

Every psychotic symptom is also mimicked by alcohol binge and or dependence. As are most of the pos and neg symptoms of schitzophrenia. Including, that no symptoms may be present until an acute binge occurs!!

 

Also why is there NEVER a mention of the LINK to any mental illness and alcohol, nicotine and caffiene in the media?

 

 

"In relation to cannabis and mental illness, the investments announced to date by COAG and the Australian

Government are all welcome but do not appear to be adequate given the epidemiology, the nature of the problem

and the need for significant investment in research on both prevention and treatment responses."

 

No doubt! I bet the lack of funding to date, has left those funding benificiaries feeling kind of flat. Perhaps a little disorganized and unmotivated. With a slight poverty of speech and cognitive impairment (inability to percieve).

 

pee-yoww.. just another odd angry shot (for funding)

[bufo marinus]

"In relation to cannabis and mental illness, the investments announced to date by COAG and the Australian

Government are all welcome but do not appear to be adequate given the epidemiology, the nature of the problem

and the need for significant investment in research on both prevention and treatment responses."

 

No doubt! I bet the lack of funding to date, has left those funding benificiaries feeling kind of flat. Perhaps a little disorganized and unmotivated. With a slight poverty of speech and cognitive impairment (inability to percieve).

 

Haa yes...... But also the narrow minded twats want any funded research to start with a bias. Where's the science in that?

 

Also why is there NEVER a mention of the LINK to any mental illness and alcohol, nicotine and caffiene in the media?

 

Damn right! Especially alcohol! I'd add poverty and as you spoke of also, poor diet

[wildflower]

oh well the MHCA is nothing more than a communitarian group (insert communism).

They solely exist to prempt policy, then endorse it then have same policy refer to the "community representatives" as reason for such policy (i.e the MHCA!).

Community Interests (communitarianism) take precendence over individual rights (civil liberties).

Key words to look out for when you watch or read any media or polictical jargon.

"Community concerns"

"Community interests"

"Community groups"

"Community organisations"

etc etc.

People assume everyone else is asked except them. However these handful of people, that run not for profit organisations, charity groups, faith based groups and other "community" based representative groups are hand in hand with government policy makers. Infact one could argue that we are infact run and controlled by "communitarian" groups.

Communitarian groups have inserted themselves between - YOU - the individual and the government.

The community groups have absolutely no obligation to you - the individual. Yet claim to represent you.

However the individual reaps the effects of communitarian interests.

They are extremely powerful.

They are beasts that will do anything to justify their existence.

They are well cashed up.

They influence and interfere with the rights of the individual.

You have a responsibility to the Community.

Welcome to communitarianism.

 

Its "insert communisim".

I want to explain this to people so they understand. I urge everyone to some research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communitarianism

..is a good place to start.

our taxes, rates and bills we pay are indirectly funding these community groups. They do nothing more that fund biased research to inturn JUSTIFY THEIR EXISITENCE.

dont support them and you have a chance.

However the sad part is most of these groups are funded and endorsed by private organisations.

They keep themselves afloat by lobbying such organisations for a cut of their allocated "charity fund"

And now you can see how a "deal" can be struck.

Ive been talking about this for quiet a while with people on these boards (my anti charity and donation stance - red nose day etc etc.) and can finally put a name to it thanks to the ACL !

http://nord.twu.net/acl/

Communitarianism

peace out!

 

prohibition causes mental illness! - oppression, guilt and isolation.

long live the individual!

put that in your pipe MHCA!

 

merry xmas!

[Frazz]

Mulla thanks for that update on the report which Howard will use to nail down the lid of our coffin... these reports are to be tabled at the next COAG meeting of the states where the states are to agree on a new schedule of uniform drug laws for Australia.

 

over the last six months in SA there have been a couple of politicians who have been calling for a change to the current state laws regarding cannabis, ... the Premier has said the government is waiting till next year (2007) to consult with the other states at COAG so as the government can make the laws uniform.

 

so basicly he has admitted that yes the laws in SA will change next year... it just remains to be seen what the filthy rats have in store for us.

 

Wildflower, you are sooo spot on with your post, and it makes my blood boil mate ... but i tell you those people will be the first against the wall, come the revolution ... even if i have to do it meself

 

[Jess Stone]

What the fuck do you suppose the real agenda is ? I mean in general not just this latest anti-cannabis-nazi propaganda ,but all of the latest "facts" being presented as researched, verified and peer reviewed bottom line facts when this is not the case as there is a greater percentage of real research that really has been peer reviewed and represents a set of facts that fit the criteria used in the study which may or may not represent the bottom line facts but comes closer than the anecdotes,distortions,dodgey criteria non-peer reviewed studies,lies,mistruths and political ideology promoted as facts.

 

 

Panel says link with mental illness is 'very small'

James Randerson

Saturday January 14, 2006

The Guardian

 

German Supreme Court Rejects "Zero Tolerance" Drugged Driving Law in Cannabis Case

Germany's Federal Constitutional Court, the highest court in the land, has ruled that tiny traces of THC in a driver's bloodstream are not sufficient to convict him of driving while intoxicated and punish him by revoking his driver's license, the German news web site Tagesschau reported. Until the ruling, any trace of illegal drugs in one's system would have been sufficient for a conviction. The January 13 ruling overturned a lower court ruling in Karlsruhe... further.

 

A preliminary DTI study showing no brain structural change associated with adolescent cannabis useThus, these data lead to the likely conclusion that cannabis use, in at least moderate amounts, during adolescence does not appear to be neurotoxic, although we cannot exclude any adverse effects of heavier amounts than that used by the current subjects. These data are preliminary and need replication with larger numbers of subjects, although they do have implications for refuting the hypothesis that cannabis alone can cause a psychiatric disturbance such as schizophrenia by directly producing brain pathology.

 

Drugged Driving: The State of the Research 4/21/06 With the Office of National Drug Control Policy pushing states across the country to adopt zero-tolerance Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUID) laws that would criminalize drivers who have any detectable amount of cannabis or its metabolites in their systems, research on the effect of cannabis on driving has been a growth industry in recent years. The emerging consensus among scientists is that cannabis use slightly impairs driving ability for a short period of time immediately after ingestion, while cannabis stays in the system for a much longer period of time, thus suggesting that zero-tolerance DUID laws will snare unimpaired drivers who smoked hours or even days before being tested.

 

Alcohol impairs driving more than marijuana 19:00 20 March 2002 ,New Scientist

A single glass of wine will impair your driving more than smoking a joint. And under certain test conditions, the complex way alcohol and cannabis combine to affect driving behaviour suggests that someone who has taken both may drive less recklessly than a person who is simply drunk.

 

Classic propaganda ,its all over the place,

you see these clowns experts always neglect to mention how different the intoxication from alcohol is to getting a buzz from cannabis ,they effect totally different regions of the brain,alcohol effects you at a much more basic and deeper level in the brain and body than MJ ,alcohol is so potent/poisonous that it effects basic central nervous system non-voluntary reflexes like breathing and heart rate, it depresses them so greatly death can occur yet cannabis does nothing of the sort .Alcohol severely depresses your motor reflexes yet cannabis does not, so though alcohol intoxication is very different to the mild cannabis buzz some HUGE leap of FAITH has been taken by the anti-cannabis-nazis for reasons other than what they state as research points strongly away from their slanted OPINIONS on cannabis,so in their minds "Because alcohol severely impairs your ability to drive to wit so must cannabis" ,so the money will be supplied by vested interests until the evidence can be found or created to prove the case.

 

Eg. New drugs and driving research monitor released

Results of a three-year study conducted by the Brain Sciences Institute and Victoria Police were released at a seminar held at Swinburne on 13 October.

 

The study evaluated the effects of cannabis, alone and in combination with legal levels of alcohol (.05 per cent BAC and below) on driving performance that validated the effectiveness of the current testing procedures.

 

Key findings included:

 

*

 

Participants who smoked cannabis made significantly more errors during a driving simulator task, specifically lane-weaving and stopping too close to a vehicle in front of them.

*

 

The errors observed when under the influence of cannabis occurred more often when combined with alcohol.

*

 

Performance tests currently being used by Victoria Police to test for the presence of impairment associated with drugs were good predictors of impairments associated with cannabis and alcohol.

*

 

Cannabis impairs driving ability and this impairment is magnified with alcohol.

 

Leading traffic safety experts from the US spoke about worldwide trends in alcohol and drug impaired drivers and drug impairment in traffic. Dr Katherine Papafotiou was the lead Swinburne researcher for the study.

 

Contact: Dr Katherine Papafotiou on (03) 9214 5757 or kpapafotiou@swin.edu.au and this "study" is contrary to at least 75% of the current research indicating cannabis causes little or no impairment on driving ability.

n.b. Look who is funding this "study" of dr Katscratch Poppawoppadoppalos , she prostitutes herself to elite bludger dole from the VICTORIA POLICE !!! Thats guaranteed to make it unbiased Gee why don't you just ring or email her to tell her want you think of her quackery.

 

I'm really over arguing against the stupidity that comes from the anti-cannabis-nazi WANKERS ,its very draining.

Edited December 27, 2006 by Jess Stone

[DownUnderDoper]

I've read the MHCA report, all 76 pages (amazed my poor impaired brain could manage it), compared to some other Govt reports it was actually reasonably unsensationalised, when I got to the end however, I could only say 'so what?'

 

The main points I took from the report were

1. Kids shouldn't smoke cannabis, no, really

2. People with mental health problems may have their symptoms exacerbated by cannabis use (especially heavy use and/or use in adolesence)

3. The vast majority of people who use cannabis moderately will suffer no permanent health damage (mental or physical) as a result.

4. In most cases where mental health is affected, poly-drug use (usually including alcohol) rather than cannabis only use is found to be a causal factor.

 

In short nothing that wasn't already suspected.

 

Also important is to read the reports recommendations, which include:

 

That any changes to the legal basis of cannabis in Australia be considered in the context of the :

· evidence of its known effects; (as opposed to the bullshit claims)

· prevailing community attitudes in particular, the recognition that compliance with the law is heavily

influenced by the perceived legitimacy of the laws;

and

· evidence from previous changes to legal status from Australia and internationally as it has affected

cannabis use. (ie that relaxing laws does not necessarily equate to higher usage)

 

Which to me reads that the MHCA is neither in favour of nor seeking tougher laws.

 

 

I must also wonder if Christopher Pyne (Federal Secretary of Health) read the same report I did before he shot his mouth off.

 

I believe the direction that the pro-cannabis community needs to take is not to automatically dissmiss any report about the possible consequenses of cannabis use, but to point out that when compared to one of the Govt's favourite cash cows (Alcohol provides approx $5-6 Billion in direct tax per year and contributes $18 - 20 Billion per year to the economy) the risks are acceptable.

 

Here are some excerpts from the National Alcohol Strategy 2006-2009 (a far scarier read) available for download here http://www.alcohol.gov.au/internet/alcohol...ntent/nas-06-09

 

It is important to consider both the short-term and long-term health impacts of harmful

consumption of alcohol as both result in significant morbidity (disease and injury) and

mortality (death). In addition to the estimated 16,756 Australians who have died from

acute conditions, between 1992 and 2001 there were an estimated 14,377 deaths in

Australia from chronic conditions due to drinking at risky or high risk levels.

 

There are complex health issues arising from harmful consumption of alcohol and the

use of other drugs, referred to as poly-drug use. In Australia, alcohol is often the primary

drug among poly-drug users, whereas the community focus and principal concern is on

illicit drugs, creating a complex cultural and political overlay. The Alcohol and Other Drug

Treatment Services National Minimum Data Set for 2002-03 found that in 42 percent of

alcohol treatment cases, patients’ use of other drugs was also a concern (AIHW 2004).

The interactions between other drugs (tobacco, illicit and prescription) and alcohol are

complex. Australian studies reveal a close association between heroin overdose and

alcohol consumption at harmful levels at the time of overdose. Australian research has

also found that among cannabis users, alcohol was almost universally used on a regular

basis, with most users consuming alcohol at harmful levels.

 

Which does makes one wonder which drug is causing the mental health problems.

 

And in particular reference to Mental Health

 

Long-term consumption of alcohol at harmful levels is a contributing factor in

a number of mental health conditions, including alcoholic psychosis, alcohol

dependence syndrome and alcohol-related dementia and Wernicke-Korsakoff

syndrome. Recent research provides more evidence of the association between

prior alcohol dependence and current depression (Caldwell et al 2002, Hasin &

Grant 2002). Risky and high risk alcohol consumption also increases the risk of

self-harm and suicide attempts (Borges et al 2004).

 

And a personal favourite is this from the Health Dept Alcohol Fact Sheets

 

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/pub...ILE/alcfs05.pdf

 

Ways in which alcohol can make mental

health problems worse

There is clear evidence that drinking above the levels

set in the Guidelines Table can lead to poorer

outcomes for people who have a mental health

problem:

● In particular, people who are depressed and

sometimes drink excessively are at much greater

risk of self-harm and suicide, especially if they

also drink regularly above guideline levels.

● There is also some evidence that alcohol use is

associated with poorer outcomes for people

suffering from schizophrenia, and that even low

risk drinking can worsen the symptoms of this

condition.

● Alcohol can interact in harmful ways with most

of the medications prescribed for mental health

problems, even at low levels of drinking (1-2

standard drinks).

● Alcohol can cause disrupted sleep. Even one or

two drinks may result in reduced sleep quality

and early morning waking; and disruption of sleep

can be a trigger for a variety of mental health

problems

● Heavy drinking can also make symptoms worse

for people with milder degrees of anxiety and

depression.

 

So our argument should be that even given that there are risks involved in cannabis use, if the Govt is happy to take our taxes for drugs that are known to kill thousands of Australians each year, then the comparatively small risk posed by cannabis use is no reason to maintain prohibition, and only through regulation and taxation can the problems be minimised and revenue raised to help those that need it.

[bufo marinus]

But how do we effectively lobby government?

Shit, why can't such a large chunk of the general population have near to no voice?

I have never seen ANY NORML efforts(not saying it isn't happening) reported or highlighted that I can remember in Qld anyway?

How do we turn this evidence into policy change?

I would contribute with cash as long as it is effective

[pipeman]

IMO the government should comission a study to determine whether or not the health problems associated with cannabis could be more effectively researched and treated if it was decriminalised.

 

Or to take another angle, what is the net result of the current anti cannabis laws? Laws should be a tool that is used to benefit society as a whole. I think anyone would be hard pressed to find an argument on how the anti cannabis laws achieve this. Even if it is accepted that cannabis is a dangerous drug, why should we have laws that cause more problems than they solve?

Edited December 27, 2006 by pipeman

[bufo marinus]

The thing is man I have a Qld government study from the 80's? I think that does weigh up those type of things, but it just doesn't seem to make any difference. I'll dig it out and see what the recommendations were but I doubt any of them were taken on board by government,... and this is the farking problem they only want to look after their own jobs not our large minority interests.

Maybe we should be using exactly the same lobby tools as the do gooders?

[pipeman]

The Jo era? I'm surprised the author wasn't thrown in jail for writing such a report