Marijuana Use Can Up Psychosis Risk

Long-term use of marijuana can lead to increased risk of developing hallucinations, delusions and psychosis, a new study shows.

Which comes about a month after this article, which looks at the study in a much more detailed way:

These discoveries about the link between cannabis and psychosis have been widely reported in the media, often accompanied by warnings that street cannabis has risen in strength in recent years and therefore poses a major health risk to the susceptible minority.

This, however, is too simplistic: the type of cannabis taken is an important factor. Street cannabis has indeed changed over the years. So-called “skunk” does contain higher than normal concentrations of the main psychoactive compound, a molecule called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). What is less well known is that another constituent, cannabidiol (CBD), has been eliminated from skunk through selective breeding to increase the THC content.

The elimination of CBD may play a key role in the development of psychosis. Laboratory studies have shown that pure, synthetic THC causes transient psychosis in 40 to 50 per cent of healthy people. In stark contrast to THC, CBD appears to have an anti-psychotic effect, at least in animals. Studies in humans, though few in number, have produced similar findings.

Which is purely coincidental to the fact that so many states are now decriminalizing or legalizing it for medical use, right?

Of course, marijuana has no medical use, making it schedule I. Except for the thousands of prescriptions for glaucoma, pain, or anxiety. Or killing MRSA

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