Cannabis 'worse for mental health'

[Dragonfan]

29 September 2008

 

News.com.au

 

CANNABIS smokers are more likely to suffer depression, anxiety and psychosis than stimulant drug takers, according to Australian statistics suggesting the herb's toll on mental health has been underestimated.

 

 

They quote that "users were more likely to be male, young, unemployed or on a low income and indigenous . . ." and these are surely NOT people who would be predisposed to depression nor anxiety? Come on, when are they gonna get 'real'?!?!?

 

And don't start me on the 93 pages of 'spin' from the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre . . . put into context my butt!

 

New National Drug Strategy Monograph Series report: 'Cannabis and Mental Health: Put into Context'

Edited September 28, 2008 by Dragonfan

[mull]

On ya dragon, beat me to the punch

 

Cannabis 'worse for mental health'

 

Article from: AAP

 

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24417314-29277,00.html

 

CANNABIS smokers are more likely to suffer depression, anxiety and psychosis than stimulant drug takers, according to Australian statistics suggesting the herb's toll on mental health has been underestimated.

 

The impact of amphetamines on mental state is well known but a new national report shows dope smokers display higher rates of several psychological symptoms when visiting their doctor.

 

Of patients who mentioned cannabis use to their GP, 48 per cent had a psychological problem, including 19 per cent with depression and nine per cent with psychosis. Six per cent had anxiety.

 

Only 31 per cent of stimulant users reported similar problems, with significantly lower rates of all conditions, according to the latest bulletin released by the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre in Sydney.

 

Director, professor Jan Copeland, said the results confirm the dangers of the drug, especially for the 300,000 Australians who smoke it daily.

 

"It was unexpected, given what we hear about amphetamine-related psychotic symptoms, but it goes to show what a terrible impact cannabis is having on users," Prof Copeland said.

 

"The delusions, hallucinations and paranoia can be very distressing and people are feeling it."

 

The results, in data collected from 1000 randomly-selected GPs, also revealed that mentioning cannabis use to a doctor was very rare, with the drug named in just 19,000 consultations nationwide each year.

 

Users were more likely to be male, young, unemployed or on a low income and indigenous.

 

"The low numbers are a major concern given the sheer number of users and the effects we know that use is having," Prof Copeland said.

 

She said too many users still believed cannabis had few health consequences or were nervous mentioning a drug habit to a doctor.

 

But Australian Medical Association chair of general practice Dr Rod Pearce said stressed the importance of consulting a doctor.

 

"Illegality is a non-issue for us and it absolutely has to be given the increasing body of research linking cannabis smoking with psychiatric illness," Dr Pearce said.

 

"I'm not being wowserish either. This is a serious problem."

 

About 1.5 million Australians have used cannabis in the past year, with 750,000 smoking it weekly.

 

Studies show most people do not experience major problems with occasional use but heavy use can lead to depression, memory loss, lung damage, low sex drive and even brain shrinkage.

 

 

Nice piece of work cooking the figures Jan! Would say most of it is delusional yes?

This will help when you petition the PM for more cannabis prevention funding soon right?

 

But you lie and cause more harm and some mental illness directly. Shoulder that with your bonus

The paranoia and anxiety part you mention, comes from poorly understanding the plant thanks to prohibition. Which you promote to continue your business.

 

There's a study to repeal every one you raise/encourage/fund/author/publicize to keep cannabis prohibited. And you get the publicity and keep people ill and economically crushed or hidden away trying to avoid society to stay safe and healthy. You know they are trying to maintain without the ineffective depression meds for the supposed brain chemical imbalance.

 

You know cannabis acts positively on the endocannabinoid system naturally present in our bodies.

 

Slowing reuptake of serotonin is bs. Cannabis is where the relief is and the figures you also know by assumption, but cannot show, are those of the MAJORITY of people who use cannabis daily. Far more than 300000 people, who do not report to doctors to be databased in these bs surveys, and need no treatment for cannabis use anyway.

Most need no doctors, especially for their mental health and chronic pain maintenance.

[loylty gets u nothing]

they flogging this 1 on tha local radio stations

here on coast have heard it on 2 so far

fucken miss education by media

no wonder theres such a hysteria

bil

[Loided]

Completely agree with marrabundi... This doesn't account for the many people who don't go to their doctor concerning this kind of thing... because they have no problems (or perhaps they do, but cannabis provides pain relief, relief of anxiety etc so they don't need to see their doctor). It fails to mention that these people are saving the taxpayers dollar also, due to not needing medical service etc. Essentially, I can see this purely comes down to another feeble incarnation of the government trying to keep it illegal; once the public learns it doesn't make you go insane and get addicted in a week (as in the 30's and 40's), they say it causes you to go gay (50's, 60's etc). Now they're bringing up this mental health thing they've been pushing for a while now. Once the public learns about the truth (simply provable... cannabis use has gone up dramatically, but schitzophrenia etc has stayed the same), they're going to create some other fallacy to ensnare the public into agreeing with them.

 

Even if it did cause me to become severely addicted after one toke and have a sudden man-lust, who the fuck do they think they are to tell me what I'm going to put into my body and what I'm not going to? If I want to become addicted and gay, then that's my call. The problem lies so much deeper though, in that if it was legalised and all this propaganda dispersed, MAJOR money would be lost. Sure, the government could tax it and there'd be a lot of revenue in commercial growers, but who is going to buy it?! You can just grow it... and the tobacco, alcohol, pharmacetical, petrol, paper etc industries get taken over by hemp and weed.

 

In summation, study is bullshit and prohibition of cannabis is bullshit.

[Rocker]

Anyone with half a brain can see there is a campaign against cannabis. Police, politicians and the media are acting in concert along with a few do-gooders.

 

The article states that few people discuss cannabis use with their doctor.

Really, why would you?

Doctors push drugs of a different kind altogether.

 

I don't trust any statistics because the people behind them are working to their own agenda.

[grace]

Hi all

I've asked Mark aka smokin.moose to write the first media release from the soon to be inc. Medical Cannabis Reseach Board (Australia) P/L to rebutt some of these claims.

grace

MCRB P/L

[TRIPPERX]

Hi All,

 

Firstly i'm one of those people who went to the doctor and discussed my cannabis use.

I firstly asked the doctor if it was true cannabis is addictive? he's answers was "NO cannabis is not an addictive drug".

Then i asked him if it was harmful and my doctor said yes but only because we smoke it and this leads to lung damage etc.

 

I also know of people who need to quit because thier workplace has introduced drug testing and not because they wanted to give up. I know guys in their late 70's who get really shitty when the police charge people with possession with a dangerous drug. They say "I'm 70 year's old and smoked the stuff all my life, i think i know what dangerous is".

 

The only reason If feel depressed, paranoia and anxious is because i have to live in fear of being persecuted for smoking some buds in my own house.

 

Just wondering what drugs the people who come up with this bullshit are taking cause it's has cause verbal diarrhea.

[Dragonfan]

Hi all

I've asked Mark aka smokin.moose to write the first media release from the Medical Cannabis Reseach Board (Australia) to rebutt some of these claims.

grace

MCRB

 

Would love to see the truth for once posted online in the mainstream media . . . waiting with baited breath for that one!

 

As I used to work for Queensland Health in both Mental Health and the Methadone Clinics I've seen it ALL first hand . . . curiously enough, the majority of 'clients' who admitted to Cannabis use were NOT the ones who frequented BOTH Mental Health and the Drug Clinics . . . go figure . . .

 

I for one have NEVER discussed Cannabis use with my GP but HAVE discussed at length the failure of all the pharma chemical concoctions that he ever tried on me for my various 'afflictions' [none of which worked as they 'should' and some which did actual harm . . .] and as I have NOT taken any pharma chemicals in over four years [at least] now I can ONLY say that my saving grace is CANNABIS . . . but, I'm not legally allowed to assuage my pain, I just have to cop it sweet! I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired and NOT being able to treat myself without the constant fear of being 'caught' doing what for me is simply medicating with a natural herb that hurts NO ONE [unless they are predisposed to addiction, schizophrenia etc etc] . . . I am not and have never been addicted to cannabis as I do not have an addictive 'personality' nor have I ever exhibited schizophrenic tendencies [my ex WAS a diagnosed schizo] and nor do I exhibit depressive tendencies, aside from those generated by NOT being BLOODY WELL able to treat the constant pain I'm just expected to live with due to an insane double standard that bars me from accessing [legally] a most efficacious treatment for what ails me . . . mmm, enough said . . . hope springs eternal and that's all I've got . . . hope that someone, somewhere, soon will decriminalise Medical Marijuana at the very least

[Kali Mist]

These nut-jobs who write these non-scientific BS studies (he/she has problemZ & smokes pot, so it *must* be the pot deluded logic) need to have their own heads examined. Any person with MORALS would *NOT* go around *LYING* about this crap, knowing that they're causing people harm by their AMORAL actions. Such people are a good advertisement for birth control.

[Smokin Moose]

Guys, before I post my thoughts on this latest research on cannabis, I want to talk to Professor Copeland. What I can and will say now is that this issue has been done to death in the media for the last 20 years, and nothing in the report do I find of any meaningful significance.