Fed: Pot Causes Mental Illness

[Brian]

Fed: Pot Causes Mental Illness
(Page 1 of 2)

May 3, 2005

(WebMD) Children who use marijuana before age 12 are twice as likely to later develop serious mental illness as those who don't try the drug until they're 18, according to a federal report released Tuesday.

Bush administration officials pointed to the study as growing evidence that smoking marijuana may cause mental illnesses — including depression, schizophrenia, and suicide attempts — in some people.

But while the association of drug abuse and addiction with mental illness is well known, a causal connection between marijuana smoking and psychiatric disorders is not clear, other experts say.

In Tuesday's study, 21 percent of people who reported first using marijuana before age 12 also reported that they later went on to develop signs or symptoms of a serious mental illness. Those who said they used the drug only after age 18 had a 10.5 percent chance of reporting similar problems.

The study was based on federal drug use data culled in 2002 and 2003. Other past studies publicized by federal officials Tuesday also point to a connection between marijuana use and the development of mental problems later on.

"New research being conducted here and abroad illustrates that marijuana use, particularly during the teen years, can lead to depression, thoughts of suicide, and schizophrenia," said White House Drug Czar John P. Walters. "This press conference is a public health warning."

Another study highlighted by officials, published in 2001, suggested that people who were not depressed but used marijuana were four times more likely to develop depression years later than those who never used the drug.

Is Marijuana Use a Way to 'Self-Medicate' Mental Illness?

Researchers have long observed a connection between drug use and mental illness. Many studies show the simultaneous occurrence of mental illness and substance abuse. People with mental illnesses are also known to use drugs to lessen their symptoms, a phenomenon psychiatrists refer to as "self-medicating."

But federal officials and some researchers say evidence is accumulating that shows that marijuana can actually cause serious mental illnesses in otherwise well people.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), depression, anxiety, and personality disturbances have been associated with marijuana use. However, the NIDA says it is not known whether marijuana use is an attempt to self-medicate an already existing mental health problem, or whether marijuana use leads to mental disorders (or both).

"The evidence is collectively indicating that there is a causal connection," says Neil McKeganey, PhD, professor of drug misuse at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

McKeganey notes that scientists have not yet uncovered evidence linking marijuana use to the brain changes routinely seen in people who suffer from mental illness. "If we wait until we understand that mechanism, we will lose thousands of young people," he says.

But Paul P. Casadonte, MD, a psychiatrist and associate clinical professor at New York University, cautions in an interview that research is not yet strong enough to show a causal link between marijuana use and serious mental disorders. He suggests that such claims by Walters and other administration officials were intended to further the Bush administration's efforts to quell young peoples' marijuana use.

"That's dangerous territory. It's politics more than science at this point," says Casadonte, who is also director of substance abuse treatment programs at New York Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Casadonte warns that Tuesday's study of early marijuana use does not necessarily prove that smoking at a young age leads directly to later illness. "We do know that the younger you start, the more likely that there's something mentally wrong with you to begin with. Marijuana has more of an addiction potential than most people want to believe," he says. "But basically we just don't have the science" to claim a causal link with mental illness.

Federal officials remain alarmed at high rates of marijuana use in younger and younger U.S. children. According to the NIDA, marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the U.S.; nearly 53 percent of Americans who say they've used the drug say they tried it for the first time before age 17.

According to data from the CDC, one-tenth of students nationwide had tried marijuana for the first time before age 13. Overall, the rates were higher in males (13 percent) than in females (6 percent).

Officials are preparing to launch a national campaign using newspaper and magazine advertisements to draw parents' attention to a link between marijuana use and mental illness.

Sources: John P. Walters, director, White House Office on Drug Control Policy. Neil McKeganey, PhD, professor of drug misuse, University of Glasgow, Scotland. Paul P. Casadonte, director, Substance Abuse Treatment Programs, New York Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. National Institute on Drug Abuse. CDC.

Source: CBS News.com

 

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this is something i NEED to PROVE my friends who do it... they always thinking that WEED is just a nature healthy thing to do because its grown and its not man-made etc...

 

[Liebling:-)))]

Harmful Effects of Marijuana

Harmful Effects of Marijuana

The harmful effects of marijuana on the Brain and Central Nervous System
Impaired thinking, mood, memory, and coordination
Marijuana (THC) is an extremely powerful and pleasurable intoxicant. It affects, alters, and damages brain cells controlling thinking, emotion, pleasure, coordination, mood and memory. The pituitary gland is also damaged which regulates hunger, thirst, blood pressure, sexual behavior, and release of sex hormones.

Clogged synapses, brain damage and addiction
Marijuana accumulates in the microscopic spaces between nerve cells in the brain called "synapses." This clogging interferes by slowing and impairing transfer critical information.

Long term use causes the brain to stop production of brain chemicals necessary to "feel good" - a negative feedback condition. And, the user becomes chemically addicted to marijuana.

The harmful effects of marijuana on the Heart Speeds up heartbeat as much as 50%, increases blood pressure, and poses great risk to those with hypertension and heart disease.

The harmful effects of marijuana on the Endocrine System
Marijuana damages the network of glands, organs, and hormones involved in growth and development, energy levels, and reproduction.

Organs and glands affected:

pituitary gland
thyroid gland
stomach
duodenum
pancreas
adrenal glands
testis

The harmful effects of marijuana on the Reproductive System males and females
Marijuana use can decrease and degenerate sperm, sperm count, movement, and cause lowered sex drive. Females can have egg damage, suppression of ovulation, disrupt menstrual cycles, and alteration of hormone levels.
Regular use during pregnancy can lower birth weight and cause abnormalities similar to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (small head, irritability, poor growth and development.

Can destroy the number of chromosomes, resulting in cell abnormalities and impaired function.

Other affects on the central nervous system distortions of perceptions, thinking and reality Difficulty in forming concepts and thoughts

Poor concentration
Mental confusion
Loss of motivation
Wide mood swings
Aggression and hostility
Depression, anxiety and paranoia
The harmful effects of marijuana on the Eyes
Sleep looking, blood-shot eyes with dilated pupils.
The harmful effects of marijuana on the Throat
Irritates membranes of the esophagus; increases chance of developing cancer of larynx and esophagus.

The harmful effects of marijuana on the Lungs
Significant damage and destruction of the air sacs of the lungs, reducing the lungs ability to bring oxygen and remove carbon dioxide - Emphysema.
Causes bronchial tubes to be inflamed, thickened and to produce more mucus; resulting in narrowing of the air passages - Chronic Bronchitis.
Marijuana smoke has twice as much "tar" as cigarette smoke and significantly increases chance of lung cancer, inflammation and infection.

http://www.marijuanaaddiction.info/harmful-effects-of-marijuana.htm

 

[Liebling:-)))]

Should Marijuana Be Legalized as a Medicine?: No, It's Dangerous and Addictive

Should Marijuana Be Legalized as a Medicine?: No, It's Dangerous and Addictive


Article # : 12000

Section : CURRENT ISSUES
Issue Date : 6 / 1994 2,165 Words
Author : Eric A. Voth


To best understand the problems associated with legalizing marijuana, it is useful to examine drug legalization in general and then to discuss the specific pitfalls of legal marijuana.

Advocates generally argue that crime would decrease under legalization, that dealers would be driven out of the market by lower prices, that legalization works in other countries, that government would benefit from the sales tax on drugs, that Prohibition did not work, and that the "war on drugs" has failed.

Examining currently legal drugs provides an insight as to the possible effect of legalizing other drugs. First, alcohol is responsible for approximately 100,000 deaths every year and 11 million cases of alcoholism. Virtually every bodily system is adversely affected by alcoholism. While Prohibition was an unfortunately violent time, many of the hardships of that era were really the result of the Depression. Prohibition did decrease the rate of alcohol consumption; alcohol-related deaths climbed steadily after Prohibition was repealed.

Tobacco use is responsible for 400,000 premature deaths per year. It causes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, heart disease, lung cancer, head and neck cancers, vascular disease, and hypertension, to name a few disorders. The taxes on tobacco come nowhere close to paying for the health problems caused by the drug.

The argument that legalization would decrease crime exemplifies a great lack of understanding of drug abuse. Most drug-associated crime is committed to acquire drugs or under the influence of drugs. The Netherlands has often been heralded by the drug culture as a country where decriminalization has worked. In fact, drug-related holdups and shootings have increased 60 percent and 40 percent, respectively, since decriminalization. This has caused the government to start enforcing the drug laws more strictly.

Because of its powerful drug lobby, the Netherlands has never been able to mount a taxation campaign against its legal drugs. We suffer a similar phenomenon in the United States in that the tobacco lobby has successfully defeated most taxation initiatives against tobacco.

The argument that drug dealers would be driven out of the market by lower prices ignores the fact that legalization will probably result in as many as 250,000 to over two million new addicts. Broader markets, even with lower prices, certainly will not drive dealers out of the market. Our overburdened medical system will not be able to handle the drastic increase in the number of addicts.

Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized as a Medicine

òMarijuana research has been based on anecdotal evidence, not fully replicable testing.

òConcentration, motor coordination, and memory are adversely impacted by marijuana use.

òUse of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana are major risk factors for subsequent addiction and more extensive drug use.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA ... Read Full Article

http://www.worldandischool.com/public/1994/june/school-resource12000.asp

 

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Message to Parents: WAKE UP TO THE RISKS OF MARIJUANA

Message to Parents: WAKE UP TO THE RISKS OF MARIJUANA


Marijuana puts kids at risk. More kids use marijuana than any other illicit drug, by far. Marijuana use can lead to a host of significant health, social, learning and behavioral problems at a crucial time in a young person's development. The drug is more potent than it used to be and its effects can be more intense. Getting high can also impair judgment, which can lead to risky decisions on issues like sex, criminal activity or riding with someone who is driving while high.

And don't be fooled by popular beliefs. Kids can get hooked on pot. Research shows that marijuana use can lead to addiction.

Did you know…

· In the last decade, the number of 8th graders who have used marijuana has doubled.

· More teens enter treatment for marijuana abuse each year than for all other illicit drugs combined.

· Your words and actions matter. The earlier you talk to your kids about marijuana, the less likely they will be to use it.

Time and again, kids say their parents are the single most important influence when it comes to drugs. So this message needs to start with you. Kids need to hear how risky marijuana use can be. They need to know how damaging it can be to their lives. And they need to begin by listening to someone they trust.

If you're not talking to your kids about the risks of marijuana, they might be getting the wrong message.

Get the facts about marijuana at www.theantidrug.com/marijuana.

http://www.preventcrime.net/Marijuana.htm

 

[Liebling:-)))]

The God create plants, not for drugs but for medical purposes. It’s people who use plants to create for the drugs, not God.

Yes, Jesus drank only alcohol but he's not an alcoholic or drug addictive. People choose to become addictive like drugs, alcohol, cigarettes etc.