Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: thedoc on 25/02/2015 13:23:27
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Many headlines report on the risk of cannabis users developing
schizophrenia, but the real story is much more complicated...
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Cannabis do not induce schizophrenia. This is a myth developed by pharmaceutical industries
to sell anti-psychotics for cannabis-induced psychosis. Personally, I believe
cannabis is a anti-depressant and neuroprotective medication which can be used to treat neuronal
disorders like depression and epilepsy.
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I don't think there is any causative relationship established between cannabis and schizophrenia. There are many studies that have found some degree of correlation, but I think many have been poorly designed or poorly interpreted, and none has shown any conclusive causation.
Pure THC is known to cause psychotic episodes, but the effects are modulated by CBD, which is also naturally found in cannabis. Only when the THC is extracted or synthesized and administered in a pure form is this a problem.
Excessive doses of cannabis can induce panic attacks, hallucinations and delirium, but these are all short-term effects, and have not been shown (as far as I know) to increase the risks of becoming schizophrenic.
Schizopherina is a very poorly understand disorder (actually probably multiple types of disorder that have been lumped together.) Cannabis may exacerbate (or mimic) the positive effects of schizophrenia (paranoia, hallucinations), but as far as I know, cannot elicit any of the negative effects of schizophrenia (poor ability to communicate, disinterest, loss of pleasure...)