No one will take on Obama, and the Washington establishment, like Newt Gingrich
Fantastic: Obama would like to replicate Detroit’s foibles elsewhere
New York Times scandalized as NYPD is trained on Muslim-perpetrated violence
Detroit boldly choosing to crackdown on the innocent
South Carolina stopped Romney. For now
Cartoon: Down and out
In which I praise Mitt (but explain why I won’t vote for him)
Bernero the gambler sells Main Street for a shot at the slots
The Emergency Financial Manager law is undemocratic, but opponents need an alternative to guard against local fiscal calamities
Memo to Snyder: Don’t stop the radical reforms now!New report: Cannabis contributes to psychosis, might be a primary cause
June 30th, 2010 | 
Author: 
Dan Calabrese
It’s almost beyond comprehension to me that anyone could believe a mind-altering substance would not have a negative effect on the overall functioning of the body – particularly the brain. The body is designed to work in a certain way. To think you can barrage the body with foreign chemicals and do no damage simply defies belief.
The usual logic: Something else is worse!
But this is what marijuana-smokers and legalization advocates believe. Talk to them about the harmful effects of marijuana, and they will either deny that any exist, or they will quickly change the subject to alcohol, which they will claim is far more harmful. Then they will tell their counterpart that because he or she surely drinks alcohol (they’re wrong in my case), he or she must be a hypocrite.
At any rate, a new report from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, authored by Dr. Masood A. Kahn and Sailaja Akella, demonstrates how cannabis use can induce bipolar disorder with psychotic features. (Hat tip to my friend Marie Jon.) There is some disagreement among researchers about whether cannabis use causes bipolar disorder or merely exacerbates it, but there is really no debate about the connection:
Cannabis intoxication can lead to acute psychosis in many individuals and can produce short-term exacerbations of pre-existing psychotic diseases. Cannabis use also causes symptoms of depersonalization, fear of dying, irrational panic, and paranoid ideas, which coincide with acute intoxication and remitted quickly. In one survey, it was reported that 15 percent of cannabis users identified psychotic-like symptoms, the most common being hearing voices or having unwarranted feelings of persecution.
If cannabis is causing the problem, how would that work? Here is the researchers’ explanation:
Researchers now believe that cannabis consumption during critical phases of brain development can lead to a strong disturbance of the endocannabinoid system and ultimately cause an inappropriate hardwiring of the brain. Cannabis may play a role in the complex interactions involving dopamine, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutamate transmission or other factors that cause psychotic disorders. However, the question remains as to why, in a general population of cannabis abusers, do only a small population exposed develop a psychiatric illness.
That’s a good question, but there are many examples of behavior that can be shown to be harmful, but affects different people in different ways. Everyone has heard stories of Bob’s great grandfather, who smoked a pack a day, ate red meat and drank bourbon, but somehow managed to live to 102. That doesn’t change the fact that all of the aforementioned behaviors put you at risk for some very serious problems. If you want to tempt fate, you might be one of the lucky ones. Every human body is wired a little differently, and no one can say for sure how yours will react to the things you put in it.
But in the case of cannabis, I think it’s fair to say this: No one needs to use it. No one needs to get high. If you depend on it, or some other chemical invasion of your body, to be able to relax or socialize, that’s the choice you’ve made. But you didn’t need to start using it. The choice you made was an easy cop-out, an alternative to learning how to relax and enjoy life in your natural physiological state.
No one should be surprised that those who make this choice are liable to pay a heavy price. Your body is a very intricate mechanism, and you’re filling it with garbage that doesn’t belong in there. That will lead to problems. Is that really so hard to figure out?
This is one of the reasons I do not support legalization. Now, for those who say I am violating my “limited government principles” by taking this position, here is my response:
I am for limited government, not no government. One function of government I think is perfectly appropriate is the regulation of substances that can, oh, say, lead to psychosis. This is dangerous shit, and if there is any legitimate use of it (which I seriously question), it should be tested, regulated and distributed through a system designed to closely guard the circumstances in which it can be used – just as we do with every other substance that has dangerous side-effects.
It should not be bought on the street or in some idiot’s garage, and it should never, under any circumstances, be used “recreationally.”
We have enough people walking around society stoned, psychotic and rendered societally dysfunctional because of bipolar disease. Legalize it, and we get a whole lot more. That’s far too high a price to pay for giving people “liberty” to do something that is, at its essence, fundamentally stupid.
Become Dan’s friend on Facebook.
Become a fan of The North Star National on Facebook.
To book Dan as a speaker, contact Lourdes Swarts at Speakers Access.
Posted in Dan Calabrese
68 Responses to “New report: Cannabis contributes to psychosis, might be a primary cause”
Leave a Reply
- Listen to compelling 911 tape of 2-year-old trying to help authorities save her great-grandmother's life (AUDIO)
- 'Simpsons' joke about Sharia threat in Dearborn
- Fire Marshal: Too soon to say whether fatal fire at 230 Myrtle in Muskegon is arson; investigation continues
- Electrical problems likely cause of Strong Avenue fire in Muskegon; Investigation ongoing
- WXYZ asks a blogger with no law enforcement experience to weigh in on escort murders
- By the numbers: Detroit has spent $20 million demolishing homes since 2009
- 'Simpsons' joke about Sharia threat in Dearborn
- Age-shy Warren Mayor Jim is officially 69, two years older than he claimed, so let's all move on
“I said, and I say, it’s not hard to figure out that using foreign chemical to interfere with the natural chemical cycles of the body could lead to problems.”
A foreign chemical???????? What chemical?????? Marijuana is a plant and is smoked in its natural form; so tell me again, please, what chemical is it to which you’re referring? If you want to discuss “mind altering” chemicals, then fine – let’s discuss the damage prescription drugs cause or, better yet, let’s discuss hard drugs such as crack, speed & ecstacy that, yes, in my opinion do alter one’s personality as well as their basic brain functions. But, DO NOT try to sell me on the fact that pot alters one’s personality nor brain functions, because it doesn’t. If it was so mind altering, don’t you think there would be daily reports of people being rushed to the ER as a result, or people freaking out in public, screaming and tearing their hair out? Dan, with all due respect, I’m just asking you to use some common sense here, please.
So many un educated people walking around in a world they have no hope of ever understanding . first of all cannibus has only become illegal in the past 80 years , before which time it was a very commonly used product . we all no these uses by now ,its not just a drug we use to get high . i have smoked weed for 22 years on and off ( but mostly on ) and i smoke a fair bit . it helps me sleep when back payne wont allow it , it relaxes me when the weight of the world brings me down , and it picks me up and makes me laugh and feel happy when theres nothing to be happy about . like lou armstrong said it is a freind and a companion .all i can say Dan to you is , learn some more about cannibus before you put it down , or start to worry about some of the really bad shit that goes on in your community . you might find that most of the bad stuff that goes on around you has nothin to do with dope smokers .
I posted the pubmed citation above to Dan’s website about an hour ago, it has yet to appear.
Dan,
Wake up and smell the Cheese.
Lo and behold, you have been revealed and, as always, it is apparent that The Emperor Wears No Clothes.
Give it up, Dan, you look REALLY silly.
Woof
Phil S.,
For some reason, WordPress held your comment on the other site for moderation. As soon as I saw your comment here, I went over there and approved it.
You know, one characteristic of psychosis is paranoia.
Thanks, Dan.
Ad hominen noted.
What a fucking asshole!!!..I have a greatly vast experience of cannabis and the people who use it!!..what you say is simply bollocks,cant put it any other way.Get your head out your arse and plonk it in the real world m8!!!..is there any wonder people react with such anger and annoyance when they constantly get told lies and bullshit!!..your the same as all the other journalists,controlled media shite!!
Hey Dan, ever heard of “caffeine psychosis”? No? Google it and weep. Are you gonna ban that too?
Dan,
I use Cannabis to help with serious medical issues. You have assumed I use it for fun, I think. And you have failed utterly to answer my points. I thought maybe a Christian like you would have been more honest….? It is hardly Godly to just insult me as if I were some “stoner” or “hippie”, which I am not. I am an ordained Minister, with many years experience.
Genesis 1:12
1 Timothy.4:1-5
Are you ordained? Do you have any theological training? Frankly, your words sound like the hysterical babble so common in charismatic circles. Full of passion, but devoid of any truth and substantive content. The word of God is so clear: The herb Cannabis is “good”. And the Apostle is clear in his warning about false teachers who forbid the enjoyment of that which the Lord has provided in Creation.
I submit that you are incorrect, and in need of light on this matter.
Dan,
The case report you link to is little more than anecdotal evidence with some theoretical conjecture thrown in. And the plural of “anecdote” is not data. Sorry, but that’s how science works.
Why, then, have psychosis rates not increased significantly since the 1960s, while pot use has skyrocketed from negligible to now millions of users? If cannabis is a risk factor for psychosis, it must not be a very large or very common one.
And if legalization would make things worse, why hasn’t psychosis gone up in the Netherlands? I doubt those suffering from psychosis really agonize over whether or not it’s legal. Prohibition has not been proven to significantly reduce pot use or abuse, or that of any other psychoactive drug. Look at US history with alcohol prohibition for example–EPIC FAIL.
Furthermore, whether the link you speak of is causal or not, it is irrelevant to the issue of legalization. Who is the state to decide what legal adults can put into their own bodies? In a free society, it is not the government’s job to protect us from ourselves. Even if you believe that the state should do so, society has decided that numerous other things (alcohol, tobacco, cars, guns, chainsaws, etc.) that are more risky than cannabis are acceptable risks. And yes, your stance on cannabis is hypocritical in that sense.
Most of us can handle living in a free society. Those that can’t handle freedom should move to another country, and leave the rest of us in peace.
Dan,
are you going to respond to any of the points mentioned or are you just going to continue accusing people of being “stoners.”
As for some posters quoting “old studies”, those studies have not been completely refuted. As a great scientist once said, “Newer isn’t better, BETTER is better.” Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
I was going to write a long comment, but after reading trough all these I really have nothing more to add.
Dan, watch this video – You might learn something: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9077214414651731007#
Us “Stoners” just dont want you spreading reefer madness. Dont you see all these comments? It’s not about getting stoned, its about personal freedoms. I choose to smoke marijuana over drinking alcohol and since doing so I lost 35kg… went from 105kg to 70kg. I’m 22, I earn $70,000 as a network engineer. I own my own house and car in a nice suburb close to the city, where I live with my “stoner” girlfriend. Funny thing, we have never had a serious fight and have an amazing relationship that we cherish every day.
Finally I have to say, Fuck You. For trying to spread lies and fear that cast judgement on my lifestyle. Correlation and causation are completely different things, if it was proven to be the cause of psychosis, I would have thought there would have been a huge increase in the number of drug induced psychosis cases.
You want to believe whatever gets spoonfed to your naive little mind, go ahead. But if you want to be a public voice stop basing your opinion on fear mongering.
coward.
Dan,
I wanted to share with you my own experience with Cannabis. I am 25 and have only smoked pot twice in my life. Before trying it I hated the idea of people doing it and thought that all “druggies” or “stoners” were stupid and couldn’t have fun or even like life unless they were under the influence of some sort of drug.
I met a guy when I was 19 and I really liked him. But I found out that he smoked pot and I was instantly less attracted to him. But the more I got to know him the more I liked him and I began to pretend he didn’t smoke pot so that I would feel better about being with him. Well, things got serious and I started to think about our relationship long term. I didn’t want him to smoke pot. I didn’t want him to waste money on it. I didn’t want him to be high when we were together because I felt like he was getting high in order to have a more enjoyable time with me. I didn’t like that at all. We began to fight about it all the time and before I knew it I was crying about it all the time. But he didn’t want to stop. He kept telling me: “How can you hate it so much when you have never even tried it?” I thought to myself, maybe if I try it I won’t get upset when he does it and I will have a new found understanding of Cannabis. So one day I told him I wanted to try it.
So he and I both took a hit. I didn’t feel different. So I took another hit. I waited a few minutes and felt a little odd but not really that different so I took one more. I was sitting on the couch next to him watching TV when I began to feel strange. He was talking to me and I was listening but I could only pick out certain words that I understood. Then I started telling a story about something (I can’t remember what is was about) but I just kept repeating the first part of the story over and over. And then I would ask him if I already said it and he said yes. And I started to get upset that I couldn’t remember something so simple. Thats when I started to freak out.
I started thinking my brain was thinking too fast. I felt as if my brain was stuck on rewind and then fast forward over and over. I couldn’t control it and I was getting really scared. I felt sick to my stomach and couldn’t watch the TV anymore. All I wanted to do was go to sleep and make it all go away. But my brain wouldn’t turn off and I stared to cry uncontrollably. I was screaming that I was going to die and it was the worst feeling in the world.
The next day I woke up and was still a little bit paranoid but by the end of the day it had wore off. So my boyfriend told me I probably just had too much. So a year later (we are now married) I decided to try it once more. I wanted to see if I could get that “good” high that everyone else seems to get. So I took 2 hits instead of three this time.
I had a horrible taste in the mouth and I felt like I needed to get it out. So I got myself a cup of yogurt and started to eat it. My husband had a friend over and I could see them in the living room watching TV and laughing. Then my husband asked me if I was ok. I replied yes. Why would I not be ok ? Then his friend started laughing at me and asked me how long I was going to stand there eating the yogurt. What seemed to me like 2 minutes was actually 30 min according to my husband. I was still eating the yogurt standing in the same spot. When he told me how long I was there I thought to myself he must be wrong! I would know if I was standing there for that long or not! Then I started thinking about it and wondering If I was right. But I didn’t know. I was confused. I kept trying to remember but I couldn’t. I started to feel sick to my stomach. My head was spinning and I couldn’t control it. I felt as if something was wrong with me and I needed to go to the hospital because I felt as if I was going to die. I started to cry and my husband kept telling me everything was fine and I wasn’t going to die. But it didn’t help. I broke down and kept giving him reasons why I was going to die.
That was the last time I smoked.
I’m scared of cannabis. I think it’s very powerful. I personally don’t like it. Maybe if I had a good relaxing reaction to it maybe I would like it. But I do agree that it has the potential to cause some serious psychological shit!
-Kat
Excellent blog! I definitely love how it’s easy on my eyes and also the details are well written. I am wondering how I could be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your rss feed which ought to do the trick! Have a nice day!
I see from the responses that there are those
who are in real bondage,may God open your eyes
and help you to see that you need to be set free!!
Awesome write-up. Hope you craft even more on the topic quickly.