Marijuana use in the immediate 5-year premorbid period is associated with increased risk of onset of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders

News
1

CONCLUSIONS: These data provide evidence of a clear temporal relationship between escalations in use in the five years pre-onset and an increased rate of onset, demonstrate that the strength of the association is similar pre- and post-onset of prodromal symptoms, and determine that early adult use may be just as important as adolescent use in these associations.

4 Likes
2

A lot of people assume marijuana is safe for you just because it doesn’t harm your body, but marijuana is DANGEROUS for the mind.

1 Like
3

Can’t believe there aren’t major public awareness programs in areas where it is being legalized

1 Like
4

Weed is dangerous for people at risk, I dont want it to become legal in my country, For medical yes but just for just anybody no.

5

its a real shame that they didn’t have this research back in the 90’s even. If I had known that there was a casual risk associated with heavy pot use and developing a severe mental illness I might have stopped smoking. I was already up to my eyeballs in the pot culture of Vermont by that time but if i knew that I would suffer for the rest of my life I most certainly would have quit.
tough lesson to learn.

1 Like
6

It’s the stupid drug for stupid people.

7

The reason why it is being legalized is political. They would only use facts and data that support their agenda. Everything else is discarded. I just wonder why people who are against legalization don’t use studies like these.

8

We try. Data is useless when the issue is emotional.

9

Out of those who go on to develop long term psychosis/schizophrenia through cannabis use, I wonder how many had a family history of psychosis/schizophrenia.

It seems if you carry the Val allele you are at increased risk especially if you carry two of them. I have never done cannabis but am Met/Met on Comt Val158Met.
I am not sure what my brother is but he’s done for cannabis for years and became increasingly paranoid. In the last year or so he was diagnosed with HIV psychosis.
Would he have developed it on the HIV alone without the cannabis use? I don’t know.

If the Val allele theory stands up then genetic testing before allowing people to try cannabis might be an idea. If you had one or more of the bad allele you could be given a warning of the increased risk ,and advised to think very carefully about using cannabis.