Potent Weed Linked to Psychosis

[orthene]

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/potent-weed-linked-to-psychosis-65624

Frequent use of high-strength cannabis may increase the risk of mental health problems, according to a large-scale epidemiological study.
Mar 20, 2019
JEF AKST

The strength of marijuana could be an important consideration when evaluating the health risks of using cannabis, according to a study of more than 2,000 patients and controls published yesterday (March 19) in The Lancet Psychiatry.

At 10 locations in Europe and another in Brazil, researchers found that variation in the incidence of psychotic disorder correlated with differences in the frequency of cannabis use and, in particular, the use of high-potency cannabis, which can carry levels of psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) greater than 10 percent.

“Daily use of high-potency cannabis and how this varies across Europe explains some of the striking variations we have measured in the incidence of psychotic disorder,” coauthor Marta Di Forti of King’s College London tells The Guardian.

After controlling for education, drinking habits, and other factors, the researchers found that there was a 40 percent greater chance of developing a psychotic disorder among people who had used the drug more than once a week, as compared with those who had rarely or never tried cannabis. The risk was three times greater among daily users, as compared with rare or nonusers, and higher still among daily users of high-potency cannabis.

The link between daily use of cannabis and psychosis was strongest in Amsterdam, where cannabis is sold in coffee shops and is almost always quite potent, with varieties containing up to 67 percent THC. The researchers estimated that if high-potency versions of the drug were not available, half of first-time cases of psychotic disorders in the city could be avoided.

“If you are going to legalise cannabis, unless you want to pay for more a lot more psychiatric beds and a lot more psychiatrists, then you need to devise a system where you would legalise in a way that wouldn’t increase the consumption and increase the potency,” coauthor Robin Murray, from King’s College London, tells The Guardian.

[jones]

I'm sure glad I don't live in Europe then

[KratomToke]

I'm sure glad I don't live in Europe then

Me too Jones!

 

[orthene]

My buddy's wife made some high powered brownies. He ate a whole one, and his wife said "You we're only supposed to eat a quarter of it." He said an hour later he was huddled in the corner, convinced police were coming for him. If anyone else would have told me that, I would have laughed it off. But he's a Marine (there are no ex-Marines), a long time stoner buddy, and manicures bud for a living. So I think there's some truth to the article, even though I take it with a grain of salt to some extent.

[jones]

My buddy's wife made some high powered brownies. He ate a whole one, and his wife said "You we're only supposed to eat a quarter of it." He said an hour later he was huddled in the corner, convinced police were coming for him. If anyone else would have told me that, I would have laughed it off. But he's a Marine (there are no ex-Marines), a long time stoner buddy, and manicures bud for a living. So I think there's some truth to the article, even though I take it with a grain of salt to some extent.

Sounds to me like he had a full blown panic attack--those of us who have spent years blending are likely quite familiar with them

My Mom told me a story about my Dad deciding to try some weed by himself at work, about 50 years ago. Apparently he had a full blown panic attack and this was long before good weed was found in AZ. She found him stuck to the ground in front of the shop--at least he said he was unable to move. He never tried it again & gave me a lot of crap for using weed myself, after what it did to him

[§ĭdêƁüȑɳȤ®]

My buddy's wife made some high powered brownies. He ate a whole one, and his wife said "You we're only supposed to eat a quarter of it." He said an hour later he was huddled in the corner, convinced police were coming for him. If anyone else would have told me that, I would have laughed it off. But he's a Marine (there are no ex-Marines), a long time stoner buddy, and manicures bud for a living. So I think there's some truth to the article, even though I take it with a grain of salt to some extent.

Sounds to me like he had a full blown panic attack--those of us who have spent years blending are likely quite familiar with them

My Mom told me a story about my Dad decided to try some weed by himself at work, about 50 years ago. Apparently, he had a full blown panic attack and this was long before good weed was found in AZ. She found him stuck to the ground in front of the shop--at least he said he was unable to move. He never tried it again & gave me a lot of crap for using weed myself, after what it did to him

Good review 4.5 llamas

[orthene]

Only got paranoid once that I recall. I was 16 and just got my driving license, finished closing at the restaurant where I worked, and smoked a doobie in the parking lot with my burnout friends from the dishroom. It was dark, and every car behind me on my way home was a cop. That is to say, my paranoid ass saw a light bar on the roof of every car behind me. When I got home, it was after midnight and my mom just happened to still be up. I tried to hang up my shirt in the refrigerator haha.