Cannabis Psychosis

[cybergenesis]

I have known many, many people who have smoked pot over my life time, and I have seen many, many people smoke it for years.

 

I can't say that I have ever seen a direct situation where I felt marijuana caused psychosis in a person. I have known many people with psychotic disorders, and lived with people with both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (including when very mentally unwell).

 

I can however see how people might easily misattribute psychosis to marijuana, or indeed interpret an anxiety reaction as psychosis. Did you know that around 15%-20% of the time, any two psychiatrists will disagree even if a person is psychotic?

 

There is no evidence that the usage of marijuana in society is correlated to the incidence of psychotic illness or schizophrenia. Thats the real key question.

 

If marijuana can trigger a psychotic episode in a person, it is only in a person that will at some point in their life develop psychosis- no matter what.

 

It may make the situation worst in such people, but we are talking about a very small percentage of the population.

 

I am convinced both alcohol and other illicit drugs are worst for psychosis than marijuana. Ideally people with a disposition to losing their grip on reality- which is not the VAST majority of the population- should not take any form of mind altering or intoxicating drug.

 

But based on that logic, should we ban exercise based on the fact a small percentage of the population will have asthma attacks triggered by exercise? Exercise CAUSES asthma attacks in severe asthmatics, but it is not the CAUSE of asthma.

 

People who have a family history or diagnosis of psychosis should avoid marijuana and all drugs including alcohol, but ALL drugs increase the potential for a psychotic episode in a person vulnerable to psychosis. Losing a job, a relationship breakup, any stressful event can trigger psychosis in susceptible people, indeed its in times like this such people are often attracted to drugs, including marijuana. Sometimes it may not be obvious to outsiders that these people are experiencing serious inner problems until they explode, they may even use drugs for a while in an attempt to supress and mask their problems.

 

Stress and environmental factors are probably just as relevant.

 

We can't sugarcoat and safeproof the entire world for every single person with every single problem. A small percentage of the population are vulnerable to experience psychosis from a HUGE MULTITUDE of triggers and factors, Marijuana is not a big issue in regards to psychosis.

 

There is no fire in regards to marijuana and psychosis, it is a smoke screen created by the prohibitionists.

 

Marijuana does NOT increase the incidence of schizophrenia in society:

 

http://ukcia.org/wordpress/?p=76

 

Its not a perfect world, but the world is better off with marijuana in it. Its time for it to be legal.

 

Hey people make me Prime Minister and this is one thing I do:

 

I would make marijuana legal to possess, consume and trade for all people 21 and over- with no limitation. It would be illegal to provide it to a person under 21, and consume it in front of a person under 16 (or to expose such a person to significant amounts of smoke). I would pay for public warnings that people with a family history of psychosis, or a person history of psychotic illness, should not use the drug. Thats how it should be. I would also enact various laws for medical usage. I think that would be about the right balance.

 

DISCLAIMER: I WAS HIGHLY STONED WHEN I WROTE THIS.

Edited October 8, 2010 by cybergenesis

[puredan]

 

But based on that logic, should we ban exercise based on the fact a small percentage of the population will have asthma attacks triggered by exercise? Exercise CAUSES asthma attacks in severe asthmatics, but it is not the CAUSE of asthma.

 

Its not a perfect world, but the world is better off with marijuana in it. Its time for it to be legal.

 

Hey people make me Prime Minister and this is one thing I do:

 

I would make marijuana legal to possess, consume and trade for all people 21 and over- with no limitation. It would be illegal to provide it to a person under 21, and consume it in front of a person under 16 (or to expose such a person to significant amounts of smoke). I would pay for public warnings that people with a family history of psychosis, or a person history of psychotic illness, should not use the drug. Thats how it should be. I would also enact various laws for medical usage. I think that would be about the right balance.

 

DISCLAIMER: I WAS HIGHLY STONED WHEN I WROTE THIS.

 

 

good words there cybergenesis you got my vote mate

PD

[Rocker]

Exactly right cybergenesis; a well presented viewpoint.

[smokinjoe]

Mongy I have a very good mate who was diagnosed with schizophrenia some time ago after suffering some paranoid delusions; he got up to some fairly crazy shit, but fortunately his old man was able to keep him out of the system, affording the best treatment and all.

 

In any case we got on all kinds of crazy shit in our late teens and early twenties, for shits and giggles. Never booted anything, for some reason I always thought that was an express elevator to hell.

 

Point of the story was, I encouraged him to speak with his quack about the various intoxicants, including copious quantities of dope, and in his professional opinion the drugs had nothing to do with his condition.

 

This is about as close to personal experience as I get; I guess I would have to vote no!

[chucko]

ive had a few psychotic episodes from smoking the good herb(usually around May) but it has only been from smoking excessive amounts for a prolonged period (usually a couple of weeks of really heavy smoking) and it was never lasting, but i do take medication for psychotic episodes(seroquel) i also had a mate who developed schitzophrenia after smoking weed for a few years but it may not of been the weed that set him of who knows?

[Chronmasta]

voted no....never seen anyone flip out from chooff in 22yrs of bongn on..

once met a fella in jail who said he gets seizures from choof but he had/has epilepsy

 

 

so nah....

 

 

 

bongon

[HighFlyer]

I've seen one or two people flip out but not a full blown psychotic episode.

 

Whereas I know at least five people psychotic or just plain crazy from prescription medication. Stilnox is the main culprit

[dani]

My best mate has bi-polar, but we didn't know it at the time..We were just partying with pills, speed coke and copious amounts of pot.. i've never had a problem, i've got the constitution of a billy goat when it comes to drugs, but anyway one day my mate and i had been out shopping and we're walking home and he just flipped out.. he wasn't violent, just friggen weird. he was in Physch ward for 2 years and was diagnosed with bi- polar, which is apparently a gene passed from the mother.. My mate has had a few more episodes over the years, smokes sometimes and takes his meds sometimes.. but he's more together and normal than so many non- drug users..

His sister who has never touched a drug in her life is currently in private hospital being traeted for same thing..??

Another girl-friend who went too hard on the chemicals also ended up in psych ward for a couple of years, she was seeing and talking with god..

haven't seen her for a while but was still going last time i did..

So YES i do believe that some people should never touch drugs as they may act as a trigger for a pre-existing condition.

As a parent i do not think any1 under the age of 18 ( but would prefer 21) should be doing any drugs or alcohol.

Do i believe pot use alone can cause these problems, without pre-existing inherited gene, NO

[cybergenesis]

ive had a few psychotic episodes from smoking the good herb(usually around May) but it has only been from smoking excessive amounts for a prolonged period (usually a couple of weeks of really heavy smoking) and it was never lasting, but i do take medication for psychotic episodes(seroquel) i also had a mate who developed schitzophrenia after smoking weed for a few years but it may not of been the weed that set him of who knows?

 

Hmmm... Do you hear voices or have definite delusions when your psychotic?

 

I think some of the people here probably misinterpret anxiety / panic attacks for psychosis, I am not saying you are.

Edited December 8, 2010 by cybergenesis

[wezzy]

Hey all,

 

Me personally I only know 1 person, he started using all soughts of other drugs then he found that weed played with his head too much/flipped him out.

 

So he just stopped smoking, he just couldn't anymore.

 

All my other mates including myself are long time smokers 10+ years and no effects.

 

Cheers,

W