Skunk cannabis can make well users psychotic: study

[Kryties]

From: http://www.smh.com.au/world/science/skunk-...90728-dzqt.html

July 28, 2009 - 3:33PM

 

Potent cannabis can cause psychosis in healthy people, a new British study has proved conclusively.

 

The results appear to confirm a link between psychosis and skunk cannabis, which accounts for 80 per cent of street seizures of the drug.

 

Scientists at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College, London, made the discovery after tests on 22 healthy men in their late 20s.

 

They injected them with the chemical THC - a main component of skunk cannabis, which has been blamed for increasing psychosis among heavy users.

 

Scientists gave a dummy injection to some of the men and a dose of THC to others. They found a link between the chemical and psychosis, in which hallucinations leave sufferers unable to know what is real and what is imagined.

 

The team, led by Paul Morrison, concluded: "These findings confirm that THC can induce a transient acute psychological reaction in psychiatrically well individuals."

 

Researchers found that the "extent of psychotic reaction" was not related to "the degree of anxiety or cognitive impairment" in the men.

 

Mary Brett, vice-president of Europe Against Drugs, an advisory group, said: "This shows that anyone who is healthy can become psychotic by smoking cannabis. They don't already have to have a mental illness."

 

The potency of skunk cannabis had risen from 6 per cent THC (Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) content in 1995 to 14 per cent in 2005. It had been linked to increased instances of psychosis, particularly among young men.

 

Today's skunk cannabis has virtually no traces of another chemical, called CBD (cannabidiol), which appears to counteract the damaging effects of THC.

 

The research is the first time that the dangers of skunk cannabis have been tested in Britain. Previous experiments were carried out in America, Holland and Brazil.

 

Dr Morrison said the findings offered "additional evidence that can elicit temporary psychotic-like effects in some people", but stopped short of suggesting they proved a direct link between psychosis and THC.

 

He added: "Much more research is needed to clarify if skunk is actually more harmful than traditional cannabis."

 

More work was also needed on the benefits of CBD in balancing the results of THC, he said.

 

Earlier this year, Jacqui Smith, the home secretary at the time, restored cannabis from class C to class B status after concerns about adverse health effects, against the advice of drugs experts.

 

A Home Office spokesman said: "We have always been clear that cannabis is a harmful drug, which should not be taken. Its use can lead to physical and psychological harms, and the mental health effects of cannabis use are real and significant.

 

"We are taking comprehensive action to tackle cannabis use, from increased enforcement to reduce the supply, along with effective education and early intervention for those most at risk," he added.

 

 

What a croc of absolute and complete SHIT. They spend half the article saying that it's been proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that cannabis causes psychosis in healthy people, then they admit that the doctor who performed the tests has said that the findings offered "additional evidence that can elicit temporary psychotic-like effects in some people" - ie: if you are predisposed to it then you may have issues. Yet the media have blown this out of proportion as usual and have jumped to conclusions.

 

Not to mention the fact that the doctor admits that the studies didn't look into the effects of CBD in unison with THC - something that is a MAJOR factor in how the process of putting cannabis into our bodies works.

 

Complete, total and utter tripe. The writer of this article should be ashamed of themselves.

Edited July 28, 2009 by Kryties

[Rocker]

The real lesson here is not to inject cannabis!

 

However as Kryties wrote it's just another load of garbage.

[Kryties]

The real lesson here is not to inject cannabis!

 

Damn! And here I was with my bent spoon and tealight candle, syringe at the ready, preparing to shoot up an oz of "da chronic"......

Edited July 28, 2009 by Kryties

[Innocent criminal]

As soon as I read the headline I knew it was BS, "Skunk cannabis"?? what a crock'o'shite, the headline alone screams ignorance.

[MadamePandora]

Another piece of media beatup and FrankenScience.

 

If it won't fit the model we WANT then we will reinterpret the results until they DO fit.

 

[CannabisMan]

omg what sort of a retard would inject people with thc they know how thc affects the brain its meant to stay in its normal form and go through the liver not straight into the blood at high doses that will cause people to go insane for sure.

 

Are these guys really that stupid are they not suposed to be scientists my god.

[mull]

Here we go again, propaganda time eh..

 

"These findings confirm that THC can induce a transient acute psychological reaction in psychiatrically well individuals."

 

An acute psychological reaction, or psychosis - which means a loss of contact with reality, they admit is temporary.

 

Ok, what else could cause a temporary loss of contact with reality?

 

1 bottle of scotch and or 1 slab of beer. No need to inject ethanol to check..

 

1 tab of acid.. etc etc

 

So the question is, what has this research team proved?

 

He added: "Much more research is needed to clarify if skunk is actually more harmful than traditional cannabis."

 

As everyone has said, their ignorance.

 

Also they want more funding to waste, on completely pointless studies.

 

Wonder whose money they're after..

[saltbox]

It's times like this that I'm glad I don't live in the UK. The lies about this "super skunk" are infuriating.

 

It's a shame that neither the SMH or Telegraph sites are allowing comments on this story.

[dsyfer]

The team, led by Paul Morrison, concluded: "These findings confirm that THC can induce a transient acute psychological reaction in psychiatrically well individuals."

 

Doesn't this mean that the researchers found that THC gets you high?

 

dickheads...

[Innocent criminal]

Doesn't this mean that the researchers found that THC gets you high?

 

dickheads...

 

spot on, I wonder how many taxpayer dollars (or pounds in this case) were wasted to 'discover' that? Talk about the blind leading the blind