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Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds

cnn.com

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Re: Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds

#81
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of marijuana smokers like to pretend weed smoke is somehow less harmful than any other smoke. It's still CO whether it comes from the tobacco or hemp plant. It's still bad and creates a tar residue in your lungs. Any time I bring that up, somehow I become anti-pot even though it's a genuine concern. Edit: Carbon Monoxide, not Carbon Dioxide. And some additions since this is a tad controversial. Here is one sour…

I don't think anyone who's serious doesn't think the act of burning organic matter and inhaling it is bad. That being said, pot simply has a lot less stuff in it than tobacco smoke. Also, almost no one is smoking a pack of day of joints. Fortunately there are other alternatives too, like sugar free candies.

You hit the nail on the head. Most people I know will smoke like half a joint in an evening and be done. Maybe take a couple bong rips. You don't sit there and smoke all night long. You'd be passed out long before you'd get through a 20 pack of joints.

Meanwhile, it's super easy to pick up a pack of cigarettes and suck down 5-10 of them in an evening.

Sometimes it feels like people who don't smoke really have to justify it hard. All these justifications they come up with which really aren't even an issue. Maybe they're afraid of it, and don't want to admit it... If you don't wanna smoke it, don't smoke it. There's nothing wrong with that. But some of the reasons I read to not smoke weed are ridiculous.

Re: Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds

#82
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My experience is the exact opposite: 1) I would not suggest that marijuana use correlates with any particular behavior very much. 2) The only thing I have noticed in common among some heavy users was stereotypical stoner behavior, primarily forgetfulness and absent-mindedness. They are usually aware of this, which means it does not present as anything remotely like arrogance.

My experience and opinion are similar to yours. A typical stoner isn’t really there, and when they are there, it’s more of a questioning or socializing activity. Alcoholic behaviors are what I would describe as arrogance and extreme impairment.

It's very possible that those are the stoners that stick out. There are a lot of stoners out there that are there and you don't realize are high.

Re: Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds

#83
I’m a big proponent of marijuana. I recommend it to others almost as a rite of passage and I’m eager to see a world where marijuana use trumps alcohol consumption. But I admit that it’s not without risk.

I like to think I am of stable mind. I have never had a drug experience that had overwhelmed my sense of self or being. I have a couple times felt overwhelmed physically, to the point of exhaustion, but my mind kept pace and knew how to navigate the experience. But I’ve also experienced moments where I sensed a certain line was on the verge of being crossed, where the sense of self/being would not be my ultimate experience. Again, I don’t feel as though I’ve crossed that border myself but I have a rather high tolerance.

I recognize these moments to be quite dangerous to those less grounded in their sense of self. I would not be surprised that such an experience could lead to psychosis.

The potency of commercially available strains now are on a completely level to the ones I consumed during college. This research is absolutely necessary.

Re: Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds

#84

Anecdotal however cannabis has many compounds, The two main ones are: THC and CBD. If your using a strain that has high THC and not much in CBD. CBD being the compound to safe-guard, governor the effects of THC you end up in a trip that can spiral out of control causing negative effects. If you add a CBD strain to the mix. Which are high in CBD and contain trace amounts of THC to your normal method usage, these tend…

Don’t forget the terpenes! Terpenes play a big role in cannabis effects as well, accounting for the differences between sativa and indica strains.

Pinine and terpinaline for example are more likely than other terpenes to cause anxiety and paranoia at higher concentrations, meaning >1%. I don’t know if they contribute psychotic episodes though.

Re: Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds

#85

I can only speak from personal experience, which is of course limited. I smoked occasionally in my 20s, but not since (I'm middle-aged now). I've been friends and acquaintances with many people that smoke a lot. I see a trend among these people - not necessarily schizophrenia (I'm not a psychologist and probably wouldn't even notice a mild case) - but instead a consistent arrogance and self-importance. It's peculiar…

> there's a sense of superiority that seems to crop up among them

the directionality could be the inverse: e.g. insecurity driving people to social overcompensation as well as cannabis as a reprieve or escape from their anxieties

Re: Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds

#87

I think it's too common a sentiment that psychoactive substances like cannabis and psilocybin are harmless and in fact are good for mental health. I've had adverse mental reactions to both and I would caution people with family history of anxiety.

It's the same for any chemical. For the vast majority of people penicillin is a life saving antibiotic and for a small percentage it is quite deadly.

Re: Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds

#88
post #3

This would not surprise me at all. But I'm curious to know if they got the causation backwards. Maybe people with schizophrenia just have a higher likelihood of smoking marijuana

Untreated neuro-divergent people tend to use recreational drugs for medicinal purposes. And psychoactive drug usage is directly linked with the early onset of otherwise dormant schizophrenia, as well as a myriad of other mental disorders.

There is no science to state that psychoactives cause these mental disorders. In fact, current medical science states the opposite, that psychoactives do NOT cause, but exacerbate, certain mental disorders.

Considering that both psychoative drug use and mental disorder rates are on the rise (some would argue due to improved screening, treatments, etc) I'm not sure how anyone could draw a conclusion from this.

If they want to prove that psychoactive use can cause mental disorder, they should approach it from a bio-chemical perspective.

Re: Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds

#89

I think it's too common a sentiment that psychoactive substances like cannabis and psilocybin are harmless and in fact are good for mental health. I've had adverse mental reactions to both and I would caution people with family history of anxiety.

Maybe the people I've discussed this with are not representative, but it seems to me it's widely known that weed can lead to an anxiety event, and psychedelics are sometimes a frightening experience. Usually you'll be back to normal the next day, but will have had a memorable experience, and sometimes mushrooms produce long-term relief from depression. I'm definitely not an expert with this, but it seems to me it is…

You're not always back to normal the next day with the more intense hallucinogens. I think bad experiences (or good, but intense experiences) and the longer term psychological recovery from them is often underrepresented online, but it does exist. The risk can be high.

Re: Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds

#90
post #83

I’m a big proponent of marijuana. I recommend it to others almost as a rite of passage and I’m eager to see a world where marijuana use trumps alcohol consumption. But I admit that it’s not without risk. I like to think I am of stable mind. I have never had a drug experience that had overwhelmed my sense of self or being. I have a couple times felt overwhelmed physically, to the point of exhaustion, but my mind kept…

How do you develop a stronger sense of self?
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