Link between Adolescent Pot Smoking and Schizophrenia / Psychosis Strengthens

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Society’s embrace of cannabis to treat nausea, pain and other conditions proceeds apace with the drive to legalize the plant for recreational use. Pot’s seemingly innocuous side effects have helped clear a path toward making it a legal cash crop, with all of the marketing glitz brought to other consumer products. But that clean bill of health only goes so far. Marijuana’s potentially detrimental impact on the developing brains of adolescents remains a key focus of research—particularly because of the possibility teenage users could go on to face a higher risk of psychosis.

New findings may fuel those worries.

The results—being submitted for publication—show people who had consumed cannabis before age 18 developed schizophrenia approximately 10 years earlier than others. The higher the frequency of use, the data indicated, the earlier the age of schizophrenia onset.

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I went into full-blown chronic psychosis from one space cake. At age 32. True story.

Insomnia, mild delusions and disorganization, it all started afterwards. Plus the negative symptoms. Had been prodromal for years without knowing it before that.

Makes me think that they should really look into the endocannabinoid system. Its not gonna explain everything but it’s part of the problem.

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I had prodromal symptoms for years too. Marijuana/Salvia really did it in for me. I think the stress of college and the atmosphere really did it in for me too. I was extremely stressed. That’s what happens when you try to do things on your own with little support from family. I should have went to a commuter school /less known school and picked an easier major-- like business. I went from straight A’s to being a C student. I failed so many tests but ended up getting Cs. I was drinking several energy drinks a day to keep up with the school work. I have always suffered from depression. Sometimes I fantasize about what it would be like getting schizophrenia later on in life (like 28) instead of at 21. I probably would have been richer and maybe have had a family…

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I am broke and with no family. Prodromal is sometimes as isolating and life-sapping as sz.

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I would only do MJ occasionally, but I had a really bad reaction to it while I was developing symptoms.

I won’t go near that stuff anymore.

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i used MJ a lot before getting SZ at age 19 and a lot after too and it always made my symptoms worse i think also the genetic factors and stress were factors in me getting SZ but the MJ definitely contributed.

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