The Cannabis-Psychosis Link: Mind Your Mind

The Cannabis-Psychosis Link: Mind Your Mind












The author does not deal with the data that show psychosis rates are consistent cross-culturally, regardless of whether the culture has a high cannabis use rate (e.g., Canada) or a low cannabis use rate (e.g., Japan), or, why psychosis rates are consistent despite dramatic spikes in a culture's use of cannabis (e.g., U.S. 1960's).

Ken @

The author does not account for the fact that most adolescents are going through a period of experimentation, and the fact that if a teen is using cannabis there is most likely concurrent use of other illicit or illegally obtained phamacuticals which could very likely contribute to psychosis. Also by the time an individual reaches the age of 26 they have typically chosen their prefered vice, those that have chosen cannabis are not experiencing psychosis as they have determined what gives them pleasure and what causes distress including emotional and psychological distress.
Also if a child is experiencing signs of psychosis at an early age (11) then most likely they are trying to cope with unfamilar thoughts, emotions, and urges. These children who are dealing with mental illness during preteen years are still subject to peer pressure and are trying to fit in with their peers. The desire to numb these unusual thoughts, emotions, and urges can easily be a contributing factor to the early use of cannabis or any other "numbing" agent.
Why is it when medical studies are conducted the human variable is always ignored?
As members of the profession that studies and treats the human mind we must always consider the human variable, and remember when studies are conducted in a controlled environment, that which makes us human is removed, freedom of choice.

Jeanette @

Good point, Ken.

Betty @

[The comment by "TheClean" has been removed due to promotional material. -The Editors]

TheClean @

This is an excellent review of the correlations between cannabis use, symptoms associated with schizophrenia, the physiological, gender, and age factors that figure into the risk.
My question is why do so many "scientists" need to discredit good analyses...are personal and political views compromising our "science?"

Donna @
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