I still don’t understand why this is even a debate. If some people develop sz after using cannabis, or any other drug, then why are people still arguing for it?
The predisposition argument is not substantial! No one goes into using drugs or alcohol with the mindset of, “Well maybe I shouldn’t do this because I might have a sz gene.” It’s ridiculous. It’s nonsense.
There’s a new book out by Alex Berenson “Tell Your Children” which shows the newest studies on cannabis and its link to psychosis and schizophrenia. I look forward to reading it.
You get sz regardless of the weed. Weed will lead you down the rabbit hole earlier than intended but for most of us we’d get there. Then there’s self medication. Even if it’s not helping if you’ve had some relief it’s something you’ll do the the detriment of yourself.
It’s not a debate. Weed is bad for most sz. A small minority can use it and get away with it. Most of us it’s off limits!
So, because smoking weed as a young adult increases the chance of developing schizophrenia from 7 out of 1000 to 14 out of 1000 in people with no family history of schizophrenia, then no one should be allowed to have it? You do realize that we are few and far between, right? Like it or not, the great majority of people will never develop a chronic mental illness, and of the ones that do, most are afflicted with anxiety disorders and depression. Weed helps a lot of people, and really, I think it’s unnecessary to ban it just because it might trigger schizophrenia in, at the very most, 1% of people. And again, that’s at the very most, because many of us started showing symptoms as children, long before we even had the means to get drugs.
I’m for legalizing weed. I’m also for decriminalizing other drugs.
I used o smoke tons of weed. Weed did not onset my psychosis. This is the case for most users. A few will have problems with it. There used to be a guy on this forum who hated weed. He said weed caused his schizophrenia.
But yeah, if your prone to psychosis you probably shouldnt be smoking weed.
I still smoke weed occasionally. When I do I stay away from the forums so as not to break the rules. Lately I’ve been using it to help me sleep. I can’t quite reccomend it for people with schizophrenia. It might exacerbate symptoms. In my case it rarely does. When I think about it though, I wouldn’t want my nephew to ever smoke since he might carry the sz gene.
I was a regular smoker for many years - but i didnt have the insight to realise it was making my Sz symptoms worse. Yeah - its great for short term relief from my anxiety, but aggravated my paranoia and voices in the long term. I wont condemn it tho. Just for me personally it just wasnt worth it anymore - as my illness has progressed i simply cannot tolerate it now.
I used to smoke it daily for about 10 yrs then suddenly I started having a anxiety attack every time so I stopped about 20 yrs ago
Plus my pdoc test me 3 times a year for it and it just wouldn’t be good if I tested positive for it
That’s the most rational conclusion, yes. But because of political and ideological positions, the level of misinformation out there is staggering. It’s no wonder so many adamantly believe that it has been proven that weed causes sz.
It hits everyone differently. I smoked for about 10 years before I decided to stop and fell into a psychotic state. I took plenty of tolerance breaks in between. For some people, it’s one joint, for some its 1000, and for some its limitless. Everyone is different.
The debate should be do drugs lead to mental illness, not just cannabis.
I quite agree - Theres no way in hell weed gave me Sz. I firmly believe i was just prone to it weed or not. Strangely enough my old Social Worker said he would rather i smoked a joint then pick up a bottle.
I showed symptoms long before I ever touched drugs. If anything my symptoms led me to seek drugs to self medicate myself. No, drugs didn’t cause my SZA; my SZA caused my drug use
Lsd=definitely exasperated my symptoms to a great great great extent
Marijuana =harmless anti-anxiety/anti-boredome drug for me. Best used in moderation. Worse than using all the time for me is not at all. I can go 28 days without weed, then I just am irritated all day long after that.
So everyone is different
But for me the lsd and alcohol were always greater issues than cannabis.
That’s just me tho.
I understand discouraging szs to use cannabis, just experienced something a bit different.