Potent Cannabis Linked To Psychosis Cases

[OZ Stoners]

One in four cases of psychosis in Britain is associated with powerful strains of cannabis such as "skunk", a study has found. Casual users of the stronger variants of the class B substance have been found to be three times more likely to develop psychosis, while heavy users are five times more likely. The findings of the six-year study - which have been published in the Lancet Psychiatry journal ...

 

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[Knarfman]

   So lets look at this artical

1. The authour is " Sarah Graham, a drugs counsellor and a recovering addict herself "

well can't be any bias there

2. The co-authour and her reaserch professor at the uni says " Sir Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research at the university, said: "It is now well known that use of cannabis increases the risk of psychosis."

nope can't possably be any bias there he's a professor

3. The study looked at 800 people aged between 18 and 65 in south London, including 410 who had suffered psychosis and 370 healthy patients.

so 410 (a little over half) of the people in the study had already suffered a incident of psychosis

4. and the conclusion was " One in four cases of psychosis in Britain is associated with powerful strains of cannabis such as "skunk", a study has found. "


We can therefore deduce that 1 in 4 of 410, so lets round that to 102 people in the study had tried a strain she calls "skunk" and have had an episode but 308 of them haven't tried it and still had episodes anyway.

 

So if 3/4 of the group had psychosis without the "skunk" we can also say that "Three out of Four cases of psychosis in Briton are not associated with "skunk".

So what caused them, did they all eat Carrots,Tomatos or Oranges at some part of there lives, if so we can say "Three out of Four cases of psychosis in Briton are associated with Orange or Red coloured vegtables"



Seriously how do these people get published

[Matanuska Thunder]

Knarf, love your work

 

it's a shifty report at best... 

 

"A larger proportion of patients with first-episode psychosis (184 [45%] of 410 individuals) reported having smoked 100 tobacco cigarettes or more than did controls (60 [16%] of 370 individuals..."

 

"Patients with first-episode psychosis were no more likely than were controls to report a lifetime history of ever having used cannabis, but were more likely to use cannabis every day and to mostly use high-potency (skunk-like) cannabis..."

 

...wait, not sure why I am wasting my time with these mates of Jan Copeland... farken yobo's

[Sir PsychoHashy]

I too would have to question the scientific validity of the research methods and results, does sound a bit iffy to say the least.  But I'm not qualified, so I can't honestly make that judgement.

 

It's not a new claim, and there may be some validity to it, but I'd prefer to see some proper research done into it which accounts for factors such as a predisposition to mental health problems and pre existing conditions.  It should be said that cannabis effects brain chemistry and development, so it would be stupid and naive to claim that it's not possible for there to be any negative consequences to using it, particularly for people with certain conditions, finding out what these things are, and who is most at risk, is important, as is rational and informed education about these issues.  Problem is this dodgy sounding report reeks of finding a desired conclusion in order to back up an existing position. 

 

You have to love it when researchers who know nothing of their subject make stupid claims like "the milder form of cannabis known as hash had no such link, the scientists said".  Don't they know hash is refined cannabis with much higher concentrations of the active drugs?  And why haven't they sought out the answer to why that conclusion was reached (most of us already know the answer)?  The reality is that if you refine the "skunk" they are on about, the hash will also have high THC low CBD.  Fucking idiots, you'd think they would at least consult with people who have knowledge of the drug they are researching.

 

It does seem to have been shown in other research that cannabis use by adolescents does put the developing brain at risk of the issues raised in this report, but that distinction was not mentioned?  Nor was the fact that CBD has also been shown to counteract these same issues, which has also been shown in other research.  I have no problem accepting that high THC with low CBD strains are likely to be causing mental health issues, particularly for users starting too young, as this has been demonstrated clearly on mice in the lab, and it makes sense.  But surely educating young people of this fact is the way forward, preferably combined with changes in legislation so there is some chance of these ratios being available for consumers.  At least as growers we have the option of seeking out well balanced strains to grow, and to seek out strains that work for us as individuals, not an option for buyers.

 

I just wish they'd get off the sensationalised band wagon of modern pot being super potent, and therefore bad.  Rant finished, sorry but these idiots piss me off and I have to vent occassionally

[louise]

In this the UK "skunk" is the evil weed... here it's "hydro"...

[Ford Fairlane]

I thought this horse had already been whipped to death. Grasping at straws