Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Harvard: Marijuana Doesn’t Cause Schizophrenia
http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/12/10/harvard-marijuana-doesnt-cause-schizophrenia/63148.html
Harvard: Marijuana Doesnt Cause Schizophrenia
By JOHN M. GROHOL, PSY.D.
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on December 10, 2013
<snip>
The new study is the first family study that, according to the researchers, examines both non-psychotic cannabis users and non-cannabis user controls as two additional independent samples, enabling the examination of whether the risk for schizophrenia is increased in family members of cannabis users who develop schizophrenia compared with cannabis users who do not and also whether that morbid risk is similar or different from that in family members of schizophrenia patients who never used cannabis.
<snip>
The researchers recruited 282 subjects from the New York and Boston metropolitan areas who were divided into four groups: controls with no lifetime history of psychotic illness, cannabis, or any other drug use; controls with no lifetime history of psychotic illness, and a history of heavy cannabis use during adolescence, but no other drug use; patients with no lifetime history of cannabis use or any other drug and less than 10 years of being ill; patients with a history of heavy cannabis use and no other drug use during adolescence and prior to the onset of psychosis.
Information about all first-, second-, and third-degree relatives was obtained, as well as information about any other relative who had a known psychiatric illness. This resulted in information on 1,168 first-degree relatives and a total of 4,291 relatives. The study gathered together information regarding cannabis use, and family history regarding schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and drug abuse.
<snip>
While cannabis may have an effect on the age of onset of schizophrenia it is unlikely to be the cause of illness, said the researchers, who were led by Ashley C. Proal from Harvard Medical School.
In general, we found a tendency for depression and bipolar disorder to be increased in the relatives of cannabis users in both the patient and control samples. This might suggest that cannabis users are more prone to affective disorders than their non-using samples or vice versa. Future research is needed to understand this relationship.
Drug abuse also appears to have an important genetic component.
<snip>
Harvard: Marijuana Doesnt Cause Schizophrenia
By JOHN M. GROHOL, PSY.D.
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on December 10, 2013
<snip>
The new study is the first family study that, according to the researchers, examines both non-psychotic cannabis users and non-cannabis user controls as two additional independent samples, enabling the examination of whether the risk for schizophrenia is increased in family members of cannabis users who develop schizophrenia compared with cannabis users who do not and also whether that morbid risk is similar or different from that in family members of schizophrenia patients who never used cannabis.
<snip>
The researchers recruited 282 subjects from the New York and Boston metropolitan areas who were divided into four groups: controls with no lifetime history of psychotic illness, cannabis, or any other drug use; controls with no lifetime history of psychotic illness, and a history of heavy cannabis use during adolescence, but no other drug use; patients with no lifetime history of cannabis use or any other drug and less than 10 years of being ill; patients with a history of heavy cannabis use and no other drug use during adolescence and prior to the onset of psychosis.
Information about all first-, second-, and third-degree relatives was obtained, as well as information about any other relative who had a known psychiatric illness. This resulted in information on 1,168 first-degree relatives and a total of 4,291 relatives. The study gathered together information regarding cannabis use, and family history regarding schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and drug abuse.
<snip>
While cannabis may have an effect on the age of onset of schizophrenia it is unlikely to be the cause of illness, said the researchers, who were led by Ashley C. Proal from Harvard Medical School.
In general, we found a tendency for depression and bipolar disorder to be increased in the relatives of cannabis users in both the patient and control samples. This might suggest that cannabis users are more prone to affective disorders than their non-using samples or vice versa. Future research is needed to understand this relationship.
Drug abuse also appears to have an important genetic component.
<snip>
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
6 replies, 2105 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (13)
ReplyReply to this post
6 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Harvard: Marijuana Doesn’t Cause Schizophrenia (Original Post)
bananas
Dec 2013
OP
intaglio
(8,170 posts)1. Good grief, Carruthers!
Next thing you know they'll be saying reefer madness doesn't exist!
/purient twit
RainDog
(28,784 posts)2. would you mind x-posting this in the drug policy forum?
if so, thanks!
bananas
(27,509 posts)4. I'd rather you or someone else do it.
There are several groups this could be posted in - drug policy, science, the two mental health groups, cooking & baking, etc.
RainDog
(28,784 posts)5. okay. I posted it.
This study matches with meta analysis done on all schizophrenia/cannabis studies and aligns with Roger Pertwee, the leading pharmacologist in the UK who studies cannabis. He says what this study says.
Good to see that more research is being done.
Uncle Joe
(58,029 posts)3. Kicked and recommended.
Thanks for the thread, bananas.
Bill USA
(6,436 posts)6. It makes it unnecessary...ha-ha-ha!!