Use of Cannabis? Discuss Sensibly!

[Dhimmi]

Regular cannabis use causes mental illness. I'm dead against the legalisation of it.

The recent 'evidence' has been put forward by a group Christian doctors and is not at all convincing. The Government has bitten, largely because they wish to back-pedal in the light of perceived public disapproval, and this new 'evidence' gives their about-turn some 'legitimacy' and makes it less embarrassing for them. Some sources have indicated that elements within the Governement initiated this loosely organised group of Christain doctors and researchers.

 

It is not surprising that there is a link between mental illness and cannabis use, when you consider that working folk will have less time for 'recreational' activities, and those with pre-existing mental illness will be both less likely to work and more likely to have the time and opportunity to take drugs. The link is not causative though, and no one has presented any evidence to suggest that it is. It's just the link that has been presented. They obviously want you to think that there is more than just a link though.

 

Did you know that there is a strong link between Oil of Ulay and cancer: a higher proportion of those who use Oil of Ulay will develop skin cancer in the next five years than those who don't. This is because Oil of Ulay users are older and more likely to develop cancer because of their age (younger people have no need for moisturisers). Strong link, and well proven, but not causative! It is important to understand this, and important to know who is presenting the 'evidence'. Are they credible? Do they belong to a group with an axe to grind? Are they Christians?

[Dave650]

I kind of understand what you're saying but no one can argue cannabis does have addictive properties and can trigger or be connected to underlying (or not) psychological disorders. However I do think that is only with certain personalities and usage and not quite how the government makes out.

[westvirginia]

Compared with alcohol and tobacco it is the safest recreational drug around. There is one reason only that it is illegal. Tax. Once the government can find a way to tax it and control it's distribution it will be legalized. As it is, anyone can grow the stuff so the government will never have the control they so dearly love. it has an addictive property on a par with mars bars so that theory is easily dismissed. Most people that use cannabis are relaxed and pleasant though prone to giggling at the silliest of things. significantly different to the drunken yobs that roam the streets at closing time and healthier than the cig smokers. As usual, once government starts its scare tactics the sheeple will happily be led by the nose.

[espadrille]

I cant beleive some of the stuff people on here are posting.

I'm 18 years old and have smoked cannabis on a (very) regular basis since i was 13/14. I got 10 GCSE's and have nearly completed my college course.

Number of rapes= 0

Number of hard drugs taken= 0

Number of ANY criminal offences= 0

 

If only you people would stop believing all this anti-cannabis propaganda you're being fed in the papers (eg. MAN KILLS FAMILY AFTER GOING MAD ON CANNABIS) then you'd realise what a beautiful herb it is.

 

My typical friday night consists of going round to a friends house, buying an 1/8th of fresh cannabis and watching films all night long.

 

I could be in a pub getting sloshed, having fights, damaging public property etc. but i detest alcohol. Although I detest it, I would not have it banned because each to their own. Even though it kills hundreds of people a year.

 

 

....Get my point? We're not all braindead louts.

How sad that that is how you spend your Friday night and at 18 I would have thought that life has much more to offer than getting stoned.

[Saff]

Take a look at this link, nothing to do with Christians:

 

http://www.mentalhealthcare.org.uk/content/?id=30

 

It includes this:

Psychiatrists began to wonder if cannabis could actually cause psychosis as well as make established psychosis worse. A famous study interviewed 50,000 conscripts into the Swedish Army about their drug consumption and followed them up. Those who were heavy consumers of cannabis at 18 were six times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia over the next 15 years than those did not take it.

 

This year, Dutch epidemiologist Jim Van Os published the results of his study, in which 7,500 people were interviewed about their drug consumption and followed up for three years. Once again, regular consumers of cannabis were more likely to develop psychosis than those who didn't. Two other studies with similar findings are in progress.

 

It is perhaps surprising that it took the professionals so long to reach this conclusion. For example, it is widely accepted in Jamaica that too much ganja can cause paranoia. Several famous Rastafarians spent their last years incarcerated in Bellevue, the squalid mental hospital in Kingston, among them the legendary ska trombonist, Don Drummond.

 

Cannabis is now one of the biggest problems on in-patient psychiatric wards in England's major cities. It is common at Maudsley for those making progress to relapse suddenly. The explanation comes when a urine sample tests positive for cannabis. The same effect has been shown at Yale Medical School, where volunteers were given THC - the major active ingredient of cannabis - by injection. Psychotic symptoms could be produced in normal subjects, and people with schizophrenia had a brief exacerbation of their psychosis.

 

 

A recent study by

The British Journal of Psychiatry (2008 ) 192: 470-471. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.107.045740

© 2008 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

 

Again, nothing to do with Christians, found that adolescents were the most at risk:

 

Recent interest has focused on the association between cannabis use and risk of psychosis. In the largest unselected, population-based study on this topic to date, we examined cannabis use and prodromal symptoms of psychosis at age 15–16 years among 6330 adolescents. Those who had tried cannabis (n=352; 5.6% of the total sample) were more likely to present three or more prodromal symptoms even after controlling for confounders including previous behavioural symptoms (OR=2.23; 95% CI 1.70–2.94). A dose–response effect was seen. We conclude that cannabis use is associated with prodromal symptoms of psychosis in adolescence.

 

 

 

Course you could be fine, but maybe you do have a predisposition to mental illness. It's on the increase. I'm telling you paranoid schizophrenia is not at all fun, it's really grim and not worth taking the risk for.

[Munch]

I miss cannabis! However, I do feel much better without it (mentally and physically). Im all for a cannabis cafe opening though but I think it would have to be Amsterdam stylee where they are allowed to sell you the stuff too (maybe in small doses) - otherwise its basically just putting money in drug dealers pockets.

[Colonel]

No matter whether cannabis is good or bad, it still funds organised crime. WHICH IS BAD

 

To be fair i have seen my friends really go down hill since they began to smoke the substance.

[testydonkey]

I think it should be legalised like it is in Amsterdam. For all you people say it is dangerous, perhaps you should look at real stats instead of what the Daily Mail feeds you on a regular basis

[Munch]

I think it should be legalised like it is in Amsterdam. For all you people say it is dangerous, perhaps you should look at real stats instead of what the Daily Mail feeds you on a regular basis

 

As far as I am aware, tt isn't legalised in Holland, it is merely tolerised and controlled. They've got it spot on actually.

[Nicoracle]

I think that if it were legalised people, especially younger adults would think cool it must be ok then and get completely wasted all the time.

 

This is absolutely NOT the case in the Netherlands where a lower percentage of people smoke cannabis than here! I think you'll find it is often the illicitness of drugs that attracts many youngsters in the first place!