"Docrodile" <swampthing@hellsbayou.net> wrote in message
news:c5adnenVP7Ow7zfbnZ2dnUVZ_gmdnZ2d@comcast.com...

Uh...too late for me! Mary Jane's done me in! Please note
the
last paragraph of this story.
I don't smoke pot anymore, but smoked it everyday for 29
years. Only a stroke and complications from that event caused me to
quit
it, and only because it temporarily raises blood pressure.
Pot, I'm SURE, is helping millions around the world cope
with
the pain of chronic and terminal illnesses, both mental and physical.
I've seen it help people in my experience, as it helped me
for
many years cope with depression and anxiety.
Millions are addicted to prescription drugs, and millions
more
to alchohol and tobacco. And millions more to addicted to power and
profit -- and many of know what that 'addiction' has done to
humanity --
unnecessary warfare and untold suffering of all kinds.
And still others are addicted to sex and suffer from poor
relationships as a result...while many are addicted to themselves and
their insufferable egotism.
Humanity is addicted. Yep, it's addicted to a wide variety
of
things that doesn't really make its life experience 'better' (in
someone's
view, anyway), but nevertheless it engages in these many kinds of
addictions everyday. Most report feeling like they'd rather have the
addiction than not, despite whatever 'downside' they experience.
I'll let the puritans and perfectionists, like Stevie, rail
against the nature of the species to do things it 'shouldn't' do --
yes,
I'll let those sons-of-bitches worry about how humanity is just do
damned
'imperfect.'
Doc :))~

Study: Marijuana may increase psychosis risk
Posted 23h 13m ago | Comments 475 | Recommend 48 E-mail |
Save | Print |



LONDON (AP) - Using marijuana seems to increase the chance of
becoming psychotic, researchers report in an analysis of past research
that reignites the issue of whether pot is dangerous.
The new review suggests that even infrequent use could raise the
small but real risk of this serious mental illness by 40%.

Doctors have long suspected a connection and say the latest
findings
underline the need to highlight marijuana's long-term risks. The
research,
paid for by the British Health Department, is being published Friday in
medical journal The Lancet.

"The available evidence now suggests that cannabis is not as
harmless as many people think," said Dr. Stanley Zammit, one of the
study's authors and a lecturer in the department of psychological
medicine
at Cardiff University.

The researchers said they couldn't prove that marijuana use itself
increases the risk of psychosis, a category of several disorders with
schizophrenia being the most commonly known.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Dr. Stanley Zammit
There could be something else about marijuana users, "like their
tendency to use other drugs or certain personality traits, that could
be
causing the psychoses," Zammit said.

Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal substance in many
countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. About
20%
of young adults report using it at least once a week, according to
government statistics.

Zammit and colleagues from the University of Bristol, Imperial
College and Cambridge University examined 35 studies that tracked tens
of
thousands of people for periods ranging from one year to 27 years to
examine the effect of marijuana on mental health.

They looked for psychotic illnesses as well as cognitive disorders
including delusions and hallucinations, bipolar disorder, depression,
anxiety, neuroses and suicidal tendencies.

They found that people who used marijuana had roughly a 40% higher
chance of developing a psychotic disorder later in life. The overall
risk
remains very low.

For example, Zammit said the risk of developing schizophrenia for
most people is less than 1%. The prevalence of schizophrenia is
believed
to be about five in 1,000 people. But because of the drug's wide
popularity, the researchers estimate that about 800 new cases of
psychosis
could be prevented by reducing marijuana use.

The scientists found a more disturbing outlook for "heavy users"
of
pot, those who used it daily or weekly: Their risk for psychosis jumped
to
a range of 50% to 200%.

One doctor noted that people with a history of mental illness in
their families could be at higher risk. For them, marijuana use "could
unmask the underlying schizophrenia," said Dr. Deepak Cyril D'Souza, an
associate professor of psychiatry at Yale University, who was not
involved
in the study.

Dr. Wilson Compton, a senior scientist at the National Institute
on
Drug Abuse in Washington, called the study persuasive.

"The strongest case is that there are consistencies across all of
the studies," and that the link was seen only with psychoses - not
anxiety, depression or other mental health problems, he said.

Scientists cannot rule out that pre-existing conditions could have
led to both marijuana use and later psychoses, he added.

Scientists think it is biologically possible that marijuana could
cause psychoses because it interrupts important neurotransmitters such
as
dopamine. That can interfere with the brain's communication systems.

Some experts say governments should now work to dispel the
misconception that marijuana is a benign drug.

"We've reached the end of the road with these kinds of studies,"
said Dr. Robin Murray of King's College, who had no role in the Lancet
study. "Experts are now agreed on the connection between cannabis and
psychoses. What we need now is for 14-year-olds to know it."

In the U.K., the government will soon reconsider how marijuana
should be classified in its hierarchy of drugs. In 2004, it was
downgraded
and penalties for possession were reduced. Many expect marijuana will
be
bumped up to a class "B" category, with offenses likely to lead to
arrests
or longer jail sentences.

Two of the authors of the study were invited experts on the
Advisory
Council on the Misuse of Drugs Cannabis Review in 2005. Several authors
reported being paid to attend drug company-sponsored meetings related
to
marijuana, and one received consulting fees from companies that make
anti-psychotic medications.

It makes me paranoid, antisocial and sleepy so there is a little truth
in that that article. Still there are so many evil people in our
society, I think a little pot will do them wonders. Perscription drugs
and alchohol are way more dangerous.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-07-26-marijuana-study_N.htm

On Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:31:09 -0700, Docrodile wrote:

Uh...too late for me! Mary Jane's done me in! Please note the
last paragraph of this story.
I don't smoke pot anymore, but smoked it everyday for 29
years. Only a stroke and complications from that event caused me to
quit
it, and only because it temporarily raises blood pressure.
Pot, I'm SURE, is helping millions around the world cope
with
the pain of chronic and terminal illnesses, both mental and physical.
I've seen it help people in my experience, as it helped me
for
many years cope with depression and anxiety.
Millions are addicted to prescription drugs, and millions
more
to alchohol and tobacco. And millions more to addicted to power and
profit -- and many of know what that 'addiction' has done to
humanity --
unnecessary warfare and untold suffering of all kinds.
And still others are addicted to sex and suffer from poor
relationships as a result...while many are addicted to themselves and
their insufferable egotism.
Humanity is addicted. Yep, it's addicted to a wide variety
of
things that doesn't really make its life experience 'better' (in
someone's
view, anyway), but nevertheless it engages in these many kinds of
addictions everyday. Most report feeling like they'd rather have the
addiction than not, despite whatever 'downside' they experience.
I'll let the puritans and perfectionists, like Stevie, rail
against the nature of the species to do things it 'shouldn't' do --
yes,
I'll let those sons-of-bitches worry about how humanity is just do
damned
'imperfect.'
Doc :))~

Study: Marijuana may increase psychosis risk
Posted 23h 13m ago | Comments 475 | Recommend 48 E-mail |
Save | Print |



LONDON (AP) - Using marijuana seems to increase the chance of
becoming psychotic, researchers report in an analysis of past research
that reignites the issue of whether pot is dangerous.
The new review suggests that even infrequent use could raise the
small but real risk of this serious mental illness by 40%.

Doctors have long suspected a connection and say the latest
findings
underline the need to highlight marijuana's long-term risks. The
research,
paid for by the British Health Department, is being published Friday in
medical journal The Lancet.

"The available evidence now suggests that cannabis is not as
harmless as many people think," said Dr. Stanley Zammit, one of the
study's authors and a lecturer in the department of psychological
medicine
at Cardiff University.

The researchers said they couldn't prove that marijuana use
itself
increases the risk of psychosis, a category of several disorders with
schizophrenia being the most commonly known.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Dr. Stanley Zammit
There could be something else about marijuana users, "like their
tendency to use other drugs or certain personality traits, that could
be
causing the psychoses," Zammit said.

Um .... yeah, that could make a difference, couldn't it? How about they
test for those?

Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal substance in many
countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. About
20%
of young adults report using it at least once a week, according to
government statistics.

Zammit and colleagues from the University of Bristol, Imperial
College and Cambridge University examined 35 studies that tracked tens
of thousands of people for periods ranging from one year to 27 years to
examine the effect of marijuana on mental health.

They looked for psychotic illnesses as well as cognitive
disorders
including delusions and hallucinations, bipolar disorder, depression,
anxiety, neuroses and suicidal tendencies.

They found that people who used marijuana had roughly a 40%
higher
chance of developing a psychotic disorder later in life. The overall
risk remains very low.

For example, Zammit said the risk of developing schizophrenia for
most people is less than 1%. The prevalence of schizophrenia is
believed
to be about five in 1,000 people. But because of the drug's wide
popularity, the researchers estimate that about 800 new cases of
psychosis could be prevented by reducing marijuana use.

Soooo, instead of five in 1,000 people, we're talking seven in 1,000
people.

The scientists found a more disturbing outlook for "heavy users"
of
pot, those who used it daily or weekly: Their risk for psychosis jumped
to a range of 50% to 200%.

Meanwhile, no word on whether or not people with a predisposition to
psychosis is more likely to (ab)use drugs/alchohol, eh?

One doctor noted that people with a history of mental illness in
their families could be at higher risk. For them, marijuana use "could
unmask the underlying schizophrenia," said Dr. Deepak Cyril D'Souza, an
associate professor of psychiatry at Yale University, who was not
involved in the study.

Same goes for drinking, does it not?

Dr. Wilson Compton, a senior scientist at the National Institute
on
Drug Abuse in Washington, called the study persuasive.

"The strongest case is that there are consistencies across all of
the studies," and that the link was seen only with psychoses - not
anxiety, depression or other mental health problems, he said.

Um ... except that little bit about not knowing whether it's marijuana
itself or other drugs. Evidently they failed to even consider the
possibility that people with mental illness may be much more likely to
use
drugs in the first place. That would throw off their "case" entirely.

Scientists cannot rule out that pre-existing conditions could
have
led to both marijuana use and later psychoses, he added.

No, they can't. They didn't even consider that in the samples.

Scientists think it is biologically possible that marijuana could
cause psychoses because it interrupts important neurotransmitters such
as dopamine. That can interfere with the brain's communication systems.

Is there a study that demonstrates that? I've never heard of one ...

Some experts say governments should now work to dispel the
misconception that marijuana is a benign drug.

"We've reached the end of the road with these kinds of studies,"
said Dr. Robin Murray of King's College, who had no role in the Lancet
study. "Experts are now agreed on the connection between cannabis and
psychoses. What we need now is for 14-year-olds to know it."

Actually, they said they can't rule out other factors just a few
paragraphs ago. This study doesn't prove anything other than you can
publish any poorly conducted research, so long as it's about how drugs
not pushed by pharmaceutical companies are 'bad'.

In the U.K., the government will soon reconsider how marijuana
should be classified in its hierarchy of drugs. In 2004, it was
downgraded and penalties for possession were reduced. Many expect
marijuana will be bumped up to a class "B" category, with offenses
likely to lead to arrests or longer jail sentences.

Two of the authors of the study were invited experts on the
Advisory
Council on the Misuse of Drugs Cannabis Review in 2005. Several authors
reported being paid to attend drug company-sponsored meetings related
to
marijuana, and one received consulting fees from companies that make
anti-psychotic medications.

LOL! There ya go - they wrote a conclusion that fit their benefactors,
but which the results didn't actually prove, having failed to conduct
the
study properly in the first place.

Woods

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-07-26-marijuana-study_N.htm

On Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:31:09 -0700, Docrodile wrote:

Uh...too late for me! Mary Jane's done me in! Please note the
last paragraph of this story.
I don't smoke pot anymore, but smoked it everyday for 29
years. Only a stroke and complications from that event caused me to quit
it, and only because it temporarily raises blood pressure.
Pot, I'm SURE, is helping millions around the world cope with
the pain of chronic and terminal illnesses, both mental and physical.
I've seen it help people in my experience, as it helped me
for
many years cope with depression and anxiety.
Millions are addicted to prescription drugs, and millions
more
to alchohol and tobacco. And millions more to addicted to power and
profit -- and many of know what that 'addiction' has done to humanity --
unnecessary warfare and untold suffering of all kinds.
And still others are addicted to sex and suffer from poor
relationships as a result...while many are addicted to themselves and
their insufferable egotism.
Humanity is addicted. Yep, it's addicted to a wide variety of
things that doesn't really make its life experience 'better' (in
someone's
view, anyway), but nevertheless it engages in these many kinds of
addictions everyday. Most report feeling like they'd rather have the
addiction than not, despite whatever 'downside' they experience.
I'll let the puritans and perfectionists, like Stevie, rail
against the nature of the species to do things it 'shouldn't' do -- yes,
I'll let those sons-of-bitches worry about how humanity is just do damned
'imperfect.'
Doc :))~

Study: Marijuana may increase psychosis risk
Posted 23h 13m ago | Comments 475 | Recommend 48 E-mail |
Save | Print |



LONDON (AP) - Using marijuana seems to increase the chance of
becoming psychotic, researchers report in an analysis of past research
that reignites the issue of whether pot is dangerous.
The new review suggests that even infrequent use could raise the
small but real risk of this serious mental illness by 40%.

Doctors have long suspected a connection and say the latest
findings
underline the need to highlight marijuana's long-term risks. The
research,
paid for by the British Health Department, is being published Friday in
medical journal The Lancet.

"The available evidence now suggests that cannabis is not as
harmless as many people think," said Dr. Stanley Zammit, one of the
study's authors and a lecturer in the department of psychological
medicine
at Cardiff University.

The researchers said they couldn't prove that marijuana use itself
increases the risk of psychosis, a category of several disorders with
schizophrenia being the most commonly known.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Dr. Stanley Zammit
There could be something else about marijuana users, "like their
tendency to use other drugs or certain personality traits, that could be
causing the psychoses," Zammit said.

Um .... yeah, that could make a difference, couldn't it? How about they
test for those?

Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal substance in many
countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. About 20%
of young adults report using it at least once a week, according to
government statistics.

Zammit and colleagues from the University of Bristol, Imperial
College and Cambridge University examined 35 studies that tracked tens
of thousands of people for periods ranging from one year to 27 years to
examine the effect of marijuana on mental health.

They looked for psychotic illnesses as well as cognitive disorders
including delusions and hallucinations, bipolar disorder, depression,
anxiety, neuroses and suicidal tendencies.

They found that people who used marijuana had roughly a 40% higher
chance of developing a psychotic disorder later in life. The overall
risk remains very low.

For example, Zammit said the risk of developing schizophrenia for
most people is less than 1%. The prevalence of schizophrenia is believed
to be about five in 1,000 people. But because of the drug's wide
popularity, the researchers estimate that about 800 new cases of
psychosis could be prevented by reducing marijuana use.

Soooo, instead of five in 1,000 people, we're talking seven in 1,000
people.

The scientists found a more disturbing outlook for "heavy users"
of
pot, those who used it daily or weekly: Their risk for psychosis jumped
to a range of 50% to 200%.

Meanwhile, no word on whether or not people with a predisposition to
psychosis is more likely to (ab)use drugs/alchohol, eh?

One doctor noted that people with a history of mental illness in
their families could be at higher risk. For them, marijuana use "could
unmask the underlying schizophrenia," said Dr. Deepak Cyril D'Souza, an
associate professor of psychiatry at Yale University, who was not
involved in the study.

Same goes for drinking, does it not?

Dr. Wilson Compton, a senior scientist at the National Institute
on
Drug Abuse in Washington, called the study persuasive.

"The strongest case is that there are consistencies across all of
the studies," and that the link was seen only with psychoses - not
anxiety, depression or other mental health problems, he said.

Um ... except that little bit about not knowing whether it's marijuana
itself or other drugs. Evidently they failed to even consider the
possibility that people with mental illness may be much more likely to use
drugs in the first place. That would throw off their "case" entirely.

Scientists cannot rule out that pre-existing conditions could have
led to both marijuana use and later psychoses, he added.

No, they can't. They didn't even consider that in the samples.

Scientists think it is biologically possible that marijuana could
cause psychoses because it interrupts important neurotransmitters such
as dopamine. That can interfere with the brain's communication systems.

Is there a study that demonstrates that? I've never heard of one ...

Some experts say governments should now work to dispel the
misconception that marijuana is a benign drug.

"We've reached the end of the road with these kinds of studies,"
said Dr. Robin Murray of King's College, who had no role in the Lancet
study. "Experts are now agreed on the connection between cannabis and
psychoses. What we need now is for 14-year-olds to know it."

Actually, they said they can't rule out other factors just a few
paragraphs ago. This study doesn't prove anything other than you can
publish any poorly conducted research, so long as it's about how drugs
not pushed by pharmaceutical companies are 'bad'.

In the U.K., the government will soon reconsider how marijuana
should be classified in its hierarchy of drugs. In 2004, it was
downgraded and penalties for possession were reduced. Many expect
marijuana will be bumped up to a class "B" category, with offenses
likely to lead to arrests or longer jail sentences.

Two of the authors of the study were invited experts on the
Advisory
Council on the Misuse of Drugs Cannabis Review in 2005. Several authors
reported being paid to attend drug company-sponsored meetings related to
marijuana, and one received consulting fees from companies that make
anti-psychotic medications.

LOL! There ya go - they wrote a conclusion that fit their benefactors,
but which the results didn't actually prove, having failed to conduct the
study properly in the first place.

Woods

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-07-26-marijuana-study_N.htm