Here We Go Again

[Reverend]

The West Australian

 

WA cannabis laws must be toughened, say doctors

 

 

24th May 2008, 10:45 WST

 

 

The Australian Medical Association has called for the State Government to introduce tougher cannabis laws following the release of a study which found cannabis users have a 40 per cent increased risk of developing schizophrenia.

 

In a review of new international research, Australian psychiatrists discovered a direct link between cannabis use and mental illness with the risk 200 per cent higher for those who smoked daily and over long periods of time.

 

AMA president Dr Rosanna Capolingua called on Health Minister Jim McGinty to introduce promised cannabis law changes so adults who grew it or possessed more than 15g faced criminal charges. Current WA laws stipulate possession, use and cultivation of any amount of cannabis is illegal.

 

However, the 2004 Cannabis Control Act let adults found with 30g of cannabis or less, a smoking implement or up to two non-hydroponic cannabis plants avoid a criminal conviction if they paid a fine or attended drug education.

 

“The soft marijuana laws certainly do not help support the message that marijuana is not a soft drug,” Dr Capolingua said. “Even though punitive measures are not always smiled upon as far as drug abuse goes, it really gets down to when do we start protecting people from substances such as marijuana and when do we need laws to protect people?”

 

The review found that 14 per cent of psychosis cases could have been prevented if the patient had not smoked marijuana. Figures in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry show that 300,000 people smoked marijuana daily and a third of all Australians had tried it at least once.

 

Mr McGinty did not return calls.

[gouger]

gawd up to 14% now? How come I have never met any of these people?

 

All the loonies I know were loonies long before they took up weed.

 

If anything I'd say weed only made them more tolerable.

Edited May 25, 2008 by gouger

[bufo marinus]

Yep it was the Cannabis that caused all my problems doc

Wow must be hospitals full of people damaged by Cannabis now eh? Wonder when my mind is suddenly going to snap? must be due any day?... I've been hearing this for the 25 years I've been smoking surely my mental illness has to start sooner or later? I smoke enough to suffocate an elephant, why am I missing out?

Perhaps I need to be more like our clean living sporting heroes, politicians etc?

[gouger]

the name McGinty conjures up a few images..

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032554/plotsummary

[Indycar]

Haha, all this coming from the Australian Medical Association, aye.

 

Wonder if the care to mention, how many Australian's have died directly because of them playing politics. Between drugs they approve 'n one's they don't. It'd be in the thousands...

 

Best thing AMA could do in this case. Is, sit down 'n shut the fuck up.

[gouger]

it DOES make Schiziwotsis worse

..

yes but they have to be schizowhatsits first

..

my friend hanged himself

..

so that makes smoking mj a non event they were gonna do something strange anyway

..

yes... it doesn't CAUSE it, but it does intensify the effects

Aye, Tommy was about as strange as they come

..

indeed it is an intensifier but without someone to talk to.. we'd all go mad with or without drugs

[Reverend]

Of course schizophrenia has nothing to do with the chemicals they use to grow our crops with. It has been proven that these same chemicals stop the plants absorbing such crucial elements like magnesium for example, which adds in depression.

This is only an example, how many other things could there be. I am sure someone has the answers but it wont be in politics or the medical profession, cause there is to much money involved with the drug companies.

Gills

[grace]

The West Australian

 

"In a review of new international research, Australian psychiatrists discovered a direct link between cannabis use and mental illness with the risk 200 per cent higher for those who smoked daily and over long periods of time."

 

In my own little review of consumer product information on 2 drugs regularly prescribed by psychiatrists I found a direct link between suicide and mental illness along with a host of other nasty side effects.

 

Psychiatrists should concern themselves with some of the damaging effects of the drugs they are prescribing rather than making up bs about cannabis.

 

Prozac

http://www.prozac.com/common_pages/safety_...NavId=undefined

 

“In clinical studies, antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children, adolescents, and young adults with depression and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of PROZAC or any other antidepressant in a child, adolescent, or young adult must balance this risk with the clinical need. Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age 24; there was a reduction in risk with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults aged 65 and older. Depression and certain other psychiatric disorders are themselves associated with increases in the risk of suicide. Patients of all ages who are started on antidepressant therapy should be monitored appropriately and observed closely. Families and caregivers should discuss with the doctor any observation of worsening of depression symptoms, suicidal thinking and behavior, or unusual changes in behavior. PROZAC is approved for use in pediatric patients (children and adolescents) with MDD or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).”

 

Tegretol®

carbamazepine

Consumer Medicine Information

 

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/b...le/nvctgror.pdf

 

depression, aggressive behaviour, recurrence of a previous mental illness, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't there) etc etc etc

 

See the web address for heaps of more nasty side effects

[Rose Gardener]

When I was first 'diagnosed' with depression, I was first put on Prozac... After being on it for barely two weeks, my 'depression' had worsened to the stage where I was deliberately hurting myself for the endorphin rush because it made me feel 'better' and I also became dangerously suicidal.

 

Once I had come off them again, I was back to being 'normal' just moody and glum.

 

As for Tegretol....

My father was diagnosed with a form of Epilepsy and was prescribed that stuff, along with another medication.

He was already on Paroxetine (brand name Aropax).

The three medications are contraindicated which means you should not take one with any other. And the "doctor" had him taking all three!

It literally nearly did kill him.

It killed his immune system, and he was always ill from something.

That was over ten years ago now, and he'll never fully recover.

Poor sod also has diabetes too now. THAT went undiagnosed for over 10 years too!

 

I don't like doctors and I don't like pharmaceuticals.

 

I'd sooner take a toke for what ails me than a hand full of pills any day!

 

~Rose.

[djbob2k2]

I was put on to Citalopram (very mild anti-depressant) when I was having anxiety issues, these pills did nothing for me but

- Made me think bad thoughts (daydreamed nightmares)

- Made me grind and clench my teeth (seems this happens when I use E as well)

- Made my teeth chatter

 

What has our friend Cannabis Sativa done for me?

- It has stopped my anxiety/ depression issues.

- It has made me sleep better

- :-) it's just been awesome to me