Is There a Risk of Psychosis From Teenage Cannabis Use?
A lot of us started toking at an early age. As such, we were doping our dopamine with THC before our brain had fully matured. It’s that premise Dr. James Kennedy, director of the neuroscience research department at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), uses to state: “The research I’ve done is on the use of marijuana and schizophrenia. (That research) and research done by other groups over the past ten years is progressively showing that the use of marijuana in the teen years increases the severity of and lowers the age of onset of schizophrenia.” Well then, lets get into this. Does cannabis cause psychosis?
First, lets give our readers a quick introduction to what psychosis means. “Psychosis is a loss of contact with reality, usually including false beliefs about what is taking place or who one is (delusions) and seeing or hearing things that aren’t there (hallucinations).” Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s turn to the good doctor (ironic since I have a drug dealer that calls himself that).
Vulnerable teens who smoke “up” regularly (several times a week) may be at risk for what’s known as a psychotic break: “The young person will start to have trouble with social relationships, become more isolated due to paranoia, suspiciousness and strange ideas,” explains Dr. Kennedy. They may think they have special communications coming to them through channels such as the TV, they may exhibit increased religiosity, and they may hear voices outside their head, some of which may command them to act out.
As I read the Toronto Sun’s post, I couldn’t shake the feeling of deja vu. Then, I got to the above paragraph and it all started to make sense. As someone that experimented with hallucinogenic narcotics between the ages of 12-20, I experienced all of the above characteristics. My sister, who did not experiment at all, ALSO experienced those characteristics. In some families, we call this PUBERTY.
I don’t think it’s very healthy or safe to experiment with narcotics or alcohol during the developmental stage of your body’s growth. Your mind is being molded as well, and drugs have a tendency to fuck that up. Sometimes, though, teenagers are so messed up by the changes in their bodies and brains they need a little something to take the edge off. I think it’s in everyone’s best interest if that “little something” were cannabis rather than alcohol or something else.
Hooch has long-term side effects too, and they can also make you dead. Cannabis can’t do that–regardless of studies of studies about cars. Maybe my thinking on this matter is simply irrational and psychotic. I don’t know. I’m stoned and old.
Any teenage high school student will realize toking up every day is antithetical to a fulfilling and enjoyable life. All they have to do is ask bloggers.
[Toronto Sun; PHOTO: HealthJockey ]
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6 Comments
Bad Vibes
10.25.2011
It's a little bit annoying that most of the contributors on this site only accept scientific truth when it support's their own ideas and beliefs. Don't get me wrong I'm a regular toker and am a 100% for the legalization of cannabis. But ignorance like using anecdotes as evidence negatively affects the credibility of the movement as a whole.
Stay informed and remain open to all possibilities as long as it is supported by evidence. Or else we become just as singleminded and ignorant as those opposing legalization.
Greetings from the Netherlands
Tyrel
10.26.2011
I'm sorry anecdotal evidence is "a little bit annoying," you don't have to read this site. I don't think I was unfairly biased towards teenage cannabis use. I pointed out the negative effects it can cause. There are plenty of instances where I've written outlandishly subjective takes on serious issues concerning cannabis legalization. Maybe go to those posts and write a comment about how my post can undermine the credibility of the movement as a whole.
Don't lump me in with your "movement" either. I'm a writer, and quoting scientific abstracts isn't conducive to entertaining posts. Before you take a holier-than-thou attitude about a post, remember this is an entertainment blog. It's actively trying to educate people about the hypocrisy of the prohibition of cannabis, but it's also trying to make readers laugh. In that spirit, some personal story-telling works.
Go read the studies themselves if you only want empirical data. If not, try and refrain from poking the hornet's nest that is my "credibility," and referring to me and the other writers on this site as "ignorant." See also, kettle calling pot black.
If you really want to further your "movement," get recreational tokers to stop using a medical cards in Cali. That's why they're shutting down dispensaries and robbing actual, sick people from medical herb. Cannabis isn't legal in Cali or anywhere in the USA for recreational use like it is in your Netherlands.
The only movement I'm concerned with is entertaining the readers of this site, paying rent and not going to jail. I'll leave the obfuscated movements you referred to for others.
Bad Vibes
10.27.2011
I was referring to the difference in approach when comparing research that is positive about cannabis and research that is negative. Whenever research is positive a lot of cannabis users have "science is on our side" kind of attitude, but when the study has a "negative " conclusion it is a lot of times easily brushed aside by for example stating "No that's puberty!".
I think that we, as reasonable adults, should be critical to information both in or against our own interests. Science is , so to say, a two sided sword.
And if my previous post was perceived as a personal attack I am sorry, subtlety is almost always lost when writing on the internet.
Kind regards from the Netherlands
Ps: Cannabis is not legal here by the way, and the government is on it's way to fully re-criminalize it fully.
Torus2112
10.25.2011
I've seem this issue come up before, long story short is if you have schizophrenia already it makes it worse. Some people find out they have it when weed triggers it in them, but if you aren't at risk it will NOT cause it out of thin air.
Those people also tend to get into an addictive spiral because it first relieves the user but then proceeds to make the condition worse. The irony of this is that they determined CBD is an effective antipsychotic, the reason it soothed patients short-term. THC would then make it worse, because it's a psychotic. They are currently experimenting with distilled CBD pills to treat psychosis with far fewer side effects than existing drugs.
It's a crazy world.
levi
10.26.2011
i think paranoia, being a hermit and whatever else are caused from it being illegal. if it was legal there would be no worries or other nervous thoughts.
Rob Wilson
10.26.2011
yeah.. weed is good. i wouldn't be paranoid if i didn't have to get high and hide..
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[...] is that the two don’t mix. This is said to be especially true in regards to adolescents. But what about adults? I’m not too sure if age has to do with it but contrary information is [...]
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[...] is that the two don’t mix. This is said to be especially true in regards to adolescents. But what about adults? I’m not too sure if age has to do with it but contrary information is [...]
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[...] is that the two don’t mix. This is said to be especially true in regards to adolescents. But what about adults? I’m not too sure if age has to do with it but contrary information is [...]
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[...] is that the two don’t mix. This is said to be especially true in regards to adolescents. But what about adults? I’m not too sure if age has to do with it but contrary information is [...]
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