Cannabis Chemical Curbs Psychotic Symptoms, Study Finds....

[Alison Myrden]

Here's another good one...

 

Love and stuff,

 

 

Ali

xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

Newshawk: Legalise Cannabis Alliance http://www.lca-uk.org

Pubdate: Tue, 01 May 2007

Source: Guardian, The (UK)

Copyright: 2007 Guardian Newspapers Limited

Contact: letters@...

Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/

Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/175

Author: James Randerson, science correspondent, The Guardian

Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom)

Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

 

CANNABIS CHEMICAL CURBS PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS, STUDY FINDS

 

One of the active chemicals in cannabis inhibits psychotic symptoms

in people with schizophrenia, according to a study which compared it

with a leading anti-psychotic drug. Although the finding could lead

to new treatments for schizophrenia, scientists think it may also

explain why cases of cannabis-induced psychosis are apparently on the rise.

 

Most cannabis research focuses on tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the

active ingredient that produces the high. Recent studies have shown

THC makes symptoms of schizophrenia worse and triggers the condition

in a small proportion of users.

 

But the new research shows that another chemical, cannabidiol (CBD),

has the opposite effect. "One possibility is that there are good guys

and bad guys within cannabis," said Markus Leweke, of the University

of Cologne. He and his team compared the effects of CBD and a leading

anti-psychotic drug, Amisulpride, on 42 patients with schizophrenia.

After four weeks the symptoms of both groups had improved, but those

treated with CBD suffered fewer side-effects.

 

"Maybe the cannabidiol ameliorates some of the effects of the THC and

maybe it actually might be good for you if you are psychotic," said

Robin Murray, of the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College

London. They reported their research at the second International

Cannabis and Mental Health Conference in London.

 

There is anecdotal evidence that the number of patients in the UK

with psychotic symptoms linked to cannabis use is increasing.

Professor Murray speculated that this may be linked to the increased

THC content of herbal cannabis sold on the street. Cannabis on sale

today has roughly doubled in strength in the last decade.

 

In a second set of experiments, researchers at the Institute of

Psychiatry have shown how THC acts on the brain to induce paranoia.

"By using brain scanning you can look in real time at the effect of

the different components of the cannabis on healthy people and see

how it's affecting the healthy brain," said Philip McGuire, a brain

imaging expert at King's College London.

 

The team gave subjects a dose of THC or a placebo and then observed

which areas of the brain were active while they performed a computer

task that involved stopping certain movements. All volunteers were

healthy men between 20 and 40 who had used the drug fewer than 15 times.

 

By looking at the difference in brain activity between placebo and

THC groups, the researchers identified a region that is involved in

controlling inappropriate behaviour. Those with the biggest reduction

in the activity of that brain region also experienced more paranoid symptoms.

 

"One possible interpretation of that is the paranoia is being driven

by interfering with this area of the brain," said Professor McGuire.

[freddie]

What is interesting about this study is that is it shows that different varieties of cannabis obviously have different effects on the brain. THC/CBD ratios seem to have an effect. So when any experiment is done on cannabis it really should question what variety they are using? This is never done. They simply test marijuana as if it is all the same.Interesting too that most of the breeding done in the last 20 years has been selecting for high THC and low CBD. I suspect there is more going on in the "high" than just THC. Maybe this accounts for the differences i find in the quality of smoke you find today compared to years ago.

 

Whenever i see brain scans used i have to wonder what it means. There were studies a while ago that fed subjects 20 cones or so, then scanned their brain and said it looked the same as a schizophrenics brain. Now clearly the patients didn't have schizophrenia so you have to wonder what it means. They are saying the same here about paranoia. Cannabis inhibits and produces psychosis. Caonfused???? The streets are not full of mad people. How come?

 

The debate about marijuana and mental health will probably be going on long after i am dead. Brains are complex.

[freddie]

Here is the daily Telegraph article under the headline "Marijuana makes you potty"

 

May 01, 2007 12:00

Article from: The Daily Telegraph

 

Font size: + -

 

Send this article: Print Email

 

IT'S the news sure to strike fear in the hearts of ageing Kombi owners everywhere - smoking marijuana really can wreck your brain.

 

New findings on the drug's damaging effects show it can trigger hallucinations and paranoid delusions in some people.

 

British doctors took brain scans of 15 healthy volunteers who had been given small doses of two of the active ingredients of cannabis as well as a placebo.

 

One compound called cannabidiol, or CBD, made people more relaxed. But even small doses of the component tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, produced temporary psychotic symptoms.

 

The results, to be presented at an international mental health conference in London this week, provide physical evidence of the drug's destructive influence.

 

"We've long suspected that cannabis is linked to psychoses but we have never before had scans to show how the mechanism works," said Dr Philip McGuire, a professor of psychiatry at King's College, London.

 

In analysing MRI scans of the study's subjects, Dr McGuire and his colleagues found THC interfered with activity in the inferior frontal cortex, a region of the brain associated with paranoia.

 

"THC is switching off that regulator," Dr McGuire said, adding it effectively unleashed the paranoia usually kept under control by the frontal cortex.

 

In another study being presented at the conference, a two-day gathering of mental health experts discussing the connections between cannabis and mental health, scientists found that marijuana worsened psychotic symptoms of schizophrenics.

 

Doctors at Yale University in the US tested the impact of THC on 150 healthy volunteers and 13 people with stable schizophrenia. Nearly half of the healthy subjects experienced psychotic symptoms when given the drug.

 

While the experts expected to see marijuana improve the conditions of their schizophrenic subjects - since their patients reported the drug calmed them - they found the reverse was true.

 

"I was surprised by the results," Yale's Dr Deepak Cyril D'Souza said. "In practice we found that cannabis is very bad for people with schizophrenia."

 

While Dr D'Souza had intended to study marijuana's impact on schizophrenics in more patients, the research was stopped prematurely because the impact was so pronounced it would have been unethical to test it on more people with schizophrenia.

 

"One of the great puzzles is why people with schizophrenia keep taking the stuff when it makes the paranoia worse," King's College professor Dr Robin Murray said.

 

Experts believe schizophrenics may mistakenly judge the drug's pleasurable effects to outweigh any negatives.

 

Understanding how marijuana affects the brain may ultimately lead experts to a better understanding of mental health in general.

 

"We don't know the basis of paranoia or anxiety," Dr McGuire said. "It is possible that we could use cannabis in controlled studies to understand psychoses better."

[mull]

I'm dubious about these new findings... perhaps a little abnormal mistrust eh...

 

How did they pass marinol thro double blind peer reviewed studies to present it with an FDA approval..

There surely must be some paranoid and psychotic patients now using it then?? (sarc)

[Andrew Edward]

oh my god, for farks farken sake how many people must i say this too , some people can't handle there liquor, just like some cant handle there thc.

 

Some people are complete agro loud an violent pigs when there drunk, some people are super talkitive an can get annoying when stoned (if your no stoned)

Ithe fact of the matter is even pharmacy drugs kan fuck you up!

i used to take anti-depressents and i found myself feel like 'steal' inside, I was tired all the time and really "dopey", I rarely laughed or cried an was embarresed to talk with friends because I was so dull and robotic.

 

After awhile i could not stand it anymore, i stopped and yes it messed me up the withdrawl syptoms...

So all iam pointing out is that yes, marijuana kan make some people go BUTZO but also alcohol makes some people go BUNTA too....

Prescribtion drugs are more accablie than pot, an more damaging an there newer and more side effects apply to its use, an often stopping dosage can cause many unwanted and uncomfotable side effects an withdrawl symptoms

 

Hehehehehehe waitin on my vaporizer in the mail hehehehehehe

[jabez]

Doctors at Yale University in the US tested the impact of THC on 150 healthy volunteers and 13 people with stable schizophrenia. Nearly half of the healthy subjects experienced psychotic symptoms when given the drug.

 

While the experts expected to see marijuana improve the conditions of their schizophrenic subjects - since their patients reported the drug calmed them - they found the reverse was true.

 

"I was surprised by the results," Yale's Dr Deepak Cyril D'Souza said. "In practice we found that cannabis is very bad for people with schizophrenia."

 

So what they have done is gathered up a few people, whacked them up on what was probably a large dose of synthetic THC and then claimed that cannabis causes psychosis because people seem to get really paranoid when they get to stoned

Edited May 2, 2007 by jabez

[Jess Stone]

What is interesting about this study is that is it shows that different varieties of cannabis obviously have different effects on the brain. THC/CBD ratios seem to have an effect. So when any experiment is done on cannabis it really should question what variety they are using? This is never done. They simply test marijuana as if it is all the same.Interesting too that most of the breeding done in the last 20 years has been selecting for high THC and low CBD. I suspect there is more going on in the "high" than just THC. Maybe this accounts for the differences i find in the quality of smoke you find today compared to years ago.

 

Whenever i see brain scans used i have to wonder what it means. There were studies a while ago that fed subjects 20 cones or so, then scanned their brain and said it looked the same as a schizophrenics brain. Now clearly the patients didn't have schizophrenia so you have to wonder what it means. They are saying the same here about paranoia. Cannabis inhibits and produces psychosis. Caonfused???? The streets are not full of mad people. How come?

 

The debate about marijuana and mental health will probably be going on long after i am dead. Brains are complex.

 

Your spot on Freddie , it is being treated as if these BS tests and all real cannabis are one in the same and are not looking at the overall picture, that is cannabis is not cannabis as defined by the anti-cannabis laws for instance NSW treats all cannabis as the same species according to NSW and I suspect most laws most places NOT as distinct species with a multitude of varietals Cannabis Indica,Cannabis Ruderalis,Cannabis Sativa and OTHERS ,according to my reading Indica and Sativa have quite a few distinct differences: cell wall structure is formost as well as leaf shape differences, hollow/solid stems AND different ratios of of cannabinoids. It is fairly well documented that Marinol (pure delta9THC and curiously the development mandate from the USgov was NO HIGH !?! And they pick the most active high constituent of all of the available ones?) has these "side effects" which is really just getting wacked ,but pure THC9 seems a bit much for some and if its pure THC9 in this research then the result is hardly surprising but has little or NO bearing on the real world MJ high.

 

I had been thinking about this since the thread in Politics about the HOAX and I believe the originator of the argument was onto something but was way off base as to why cannabis potency etc has changed and I think I'll work an article up on this as it's clearly the case that pot has changed during the 35 years I've been using it. The change isn't necessarily bad but things have changed and the cannabinoid ratios are clearly responsible for this and not just THC9 content.

 

I posted on this thread yesterday about Marinol and this ties in with this thread- the hemp bar, and the evils of hydro and this one-This Bud Is Not For You and this one-20 Year Analysis of Marijuana Seizures Reveals a Doubling in Pot Potency and this one- AMA BACKS PRESCRIBING CANNABIS and this one- US marijuana 'stronger than ever' ???? Methinks WE need to be a teeny bit more organized here people( ME INCLUDED ) as a whole bunch of threads are discussing pretty much the same thing , sort of !

[freddie]

Methinks WE need to be a teeny bit more organized here people( ME INCLUDED ) as a whole bunch of threads are discussing pretty much the same thing , sort of !

 

It's hard to keep up with all the seperate posts (especially if you have a slow proxy). Some of the posts appearing in the news section could maybe be moved to the medical section (mods?). Medical stuff tends to get burried amongst bust reports. Or maybe we need a "psycho" section of its own!

 

I had been thinking about this since the thread in Politics about the HOAX and I believe the originator of the argument was onto something but was way off base as to why cannabis potency etc has changed and I think I'll work an article up on this as it's clearly the case that pot has changed during the 35 years I've been using it. The change isn't necessarily bad but things have changed and the cannabinoid ratios are clearly responsible for this and not just THC9 content.

 

This should be interesting!

[Jess Stone]

This should be interesting!...freddie

 

This is what I'm working on at the moment it's about 80-90% complete .

 

Study:Road toll statistics 1945-1978-2003 comparison