6 ms·

If cannabis actually caused mental issues why isn't there a huge increase in these problems in CO, CA, WA and OR where it's freely available? The worst thing t

If cannabis actually caused mental issues why isn't there a huge increase in these problems in CO, CA, WA and OR where it's freely available? The worst thing that can happen if you smoke cannabis is to get arrested and to never be able to get a good job or get a scholarship to school

wcummings 10y ago
>If cannabis actually caused mental issues why isn't there a huge increase in these problems in CO, CA, WA and OR where it's freely available? I'm not sure legalization has increased usage in those places, but if it has, it will take more than a few years to see the effects.
- codr4life 10y ago
  It has been more than a couple of years in Holland, Portugal and other places. People seem to smoke less when it's legal. And we have enough experience by now to see through the silly propaganda when it comes to health risks. The war on cannabis is about profit and control; there are no health risks to speak of; on the contrary, it helps a lot of people live normal lives without poisoning themselves with stupid chemical cocktails.
  - hyperpape 10y ago
    Why should consumption decrease when the substance is legalized? The only real explanation I can think of off the top of my head is if certain types of legalization are really inconvenient (highly regulated sales and coffeehouses, vs. the black market). Prohibition reduced alcohol consumption in the 20s: http://patterico.com/2014/07/28/yes-prohibition-worked-in-terms-of-reducing-alcohol-consumption/ http://patterico.com/2014/07/28/yes-prohibition-worked-in-te.... (I am not asking this to support prohibition. I support legalization of marijuana).
    - shawabawa3 10y ago
      Legalization can increase prices (as illegally grown marijuana obviously has no tax, but may have inflated cost due to risk) It might also make it less cool. Teenages might be less likely to smoke if their parents/teachers/etc do (wild guess)
    - hdctambien 10y ago
      I had a roommate from Amsterdam and he said pot is seen as something kids do. When you grow up and get a job, you stop doing it.
      - hyperpape 10y ago
        But why should that be a result of legalization?
    - CaptSpify 10y ago
      Anecdotally: I hear people complaining that legalizing it "takes the fun out of it". I personally don't understand that, but I guess it's fun to do something rebellious if it's arguably harmless* *(I realize that I'm using the word "harmless" quite loosely here)
- sv123 10y ago
  Cannabis use among adults in the US has doubled in the last 10 years: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/prevalence-marijuana-use-among-us-adults-doubles-over-past-decade https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/prevalence-mar... I couldn't locate much information with some quick googling, but I don't think rates of schizophrenia have doubled in the same time period.
  - Broken_Hippo 10y ago
    Cannabis use might not have actually doubled. According to your link, "The percentage of Americans who reported using marijuana in the past year..." The amount of people reporting increased. It is difficult to tell if actual use increased or if people are just more likely to admit they use it because of decreasing taboos.
- simplyluke 10y ago
  Yeah it's not like it was hard to get before or currently in the rest of the nation.
hueving 10y ago
>If cannabis actually caused mental issues why isn't there a huge increase in these problems in CO, CA, WA and OR where it's freely available? If it's a effect over a long term, it will take quite a while to show up (e.g. cigarettes and cancer).
- SomeStupidPoint 10y ago
  But do we see a correlation between being in a high consumption area and mental health? WA, OR, CA etc aren't recently high consuming states, they have been huge producers and consumers for decades (relative to some other states). Of course, there's lots of other factors that likely make that analysis hard.
- e40 10y ago
  MMJ has been available in CA for 15+ years (don't know the exact date, but it's been a while).
scottlocklin 10y ago
Have you been to these places lately? In all seriousness, increased schizophrenia among heavy pot smokers (especially in teenage years) has been consistently reported for a long time, and the effect is extremely significant. I suppose it is possible schizos are drawn to heavy pot use in their teenage years as a sort of self medication, but it seems unlikely.
- throwawaycanada 10y ago
  Honestly I'm not sure why that seems unlikely. People self medicate with it for depression and they are only now scratching the surface when it comes to the mechanism at play. Same thing with smoking. Schizophrenic people are far more likely to smoke. It turns out that they very recently discovered this was a form of self medication as well.
- chimeracoder 10y ago
  > In all seriousness, increased schizophrenia among heavy pot smokers (especially in teenage years) has been consistently reported for a long time, and the effect is extremely significant. I suppose it is possible schizos are drawn to heavy pot use in their teenage years as a sort of self medication, but it seems unlikely. Actually, that's exactly it - people with a predisposition for schizophrenia are known to be drawn to drugs (particularly nicotine) in a form of self-medication. People with depression and ADHD are more likely to smoke tobacco as well, though the link there is a lot less strong than it is for schizophrenia. The link between cannabis and schizophrenia has also been studied, and it appears that marijuana can catalyze the onset of symptoms, but it won't produce them in someone who wasn't already going to develop schizophrenia anyway. So yes, if your family has a history of mental health issues, you probably want to stay away from marijuana. But otherwise, you're probably safe.
  - saiya-jin 10y ago
    former GF has a father whose life-long schizophrenia was triggered after heavy drinking during draft military service. no other substance involved. messed up for rest of his life. if you have it in you, anything can trigger it. legal drugs, illegal drugs, stress & hardships of life and work, serious accidents, failed relationships and so on.

wcummings 10y ago

>If cannabis actually caused mental issues why isn't there a huge increase in these problems in CO, CA, WA and OR where it's freely available? I'm not sure legalization has increased usage in those places, but if it has, it will take more than a few years to see the effects.

codr4life 10y ago
It has been more than a couple of years in Holland, Portugal and other places. People seem to smoke less when it's legal. And we have enough experience by now to see through the silly propaganda when it comes to health risks. The war on cannabis is about profit and control; there are no health risks to speak of; on the contrary, it helps a lot of people live normal lives without poisoning themselves with stupid chemical cocktails.
- hyperpape 10y ago
  Why should consumption decrease when the substance is legalized? The only real explanation I can think of off the top of my head is if certain types of legalization are really inconvenient (highly regulated sales and coffeehouses, vs. the black market). Prohibition reduced alcohol consumption in the 20s: http://patterico.com/2014/07/28/yes-prohibition-worked-in-terms-of-reducing-alcohol-consumption/ http://patterico.com/2014/07/28/yes-prohibition-worked-in-te.... (I am not asking this to support prohibition. I support legalization of marijuana).
  - shawabawa3 10y ago
    Legalization can increase prices (as illegally grown marijuana obviously has no tax, but may have inflated cost due to risk) It might also make it less cool. Teenages might be less likely to smoke if their parents/teachers/etc do (wild guess)
  - hdctambien 10y ago
    I had a roommate from Amsterdam and he said pot is seen as something kids do. When you grow up and get a job, you stop doing it.
    - hyperpape 10y ago
      But why should that be a result of legalization?
  - CaptSpify 10y ago
    Anecdotally: I hear people complaining that legalizing it "takes the fun out of it". I personally don't understand that, but I guess it's fun to do something rebellious if it's arguably harmless* *(I realize that I'm using the word "harmless" quite loosely here)
sv123 10y ago
Cannabis use among adults in the US has doubled in the last 10 years: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/prevalence-marijuana-use-among-us-adults-doubles-over-past-decade https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/prevalence-mar... I couldn't locate much information with some quick googling, but I don't think rates of schizophrenia have doubled in the same time period.
- Broken_Hippo 10y ago
  Cannabis use might not have actually doubled. According to your link, "The percentage of Americans who reported using marijuana in the past year..." The amount of people reporting increased. It is difficult to tell if actual use increased or if people are just more likely to admit they use it because of decreasing taboos.
simplyluke 10y ago
Yeah it's not like it was hard to get before or currently in the rest of the nation.

hueving 10y ago

>If cannabis actually caused mental issues why isn't there a huge increase in these problems in CO, CA, WA and OR where it's freely available? If it's a effect over a long term, it will take quite a while to show up (e.g. cigarettes and cancer).

SomeStupidPoint 10y ago
But do we see a correlation between being in a high consumption area and mental health? WA, OR, CA etc aren't recently high consuming states, they have been huge producers and consumers for decades (relative to some other states). Of course, there's lots of other factors that likely make that analysis hard.
e40 10y ago
MMJ has been available in CA for 15+ years (don't know the exact date, but it's been a while).

scottlocklin 10y ago

Have you been to these places lately? In all seriousness, increased schizophrenia among heavy pot smokers (especially in teenage years) has been consistently reported for a long time, and the effect is extremely significant. I suppose it is possible schizos are drawn to heavy pot use in their teenage years as a sort of self medication, but it seems unlikely.

throwawaycanada 10y ago
Honestly I'm not sure why that seems unlikely. People self medicate with it for depression and they are only now scratching the surface when it comes to the mechanism at play. Same thing with smoking. Schizophrenic people are far more likely to smoke. It turns out that they very recently discovered this was a form of self medication as well.
chimeracoder 10y ago
> In all seriousness, increased schizophrenia among heavy pot smokers (especially in teenage years) has been consistently reported for a long time, and the effect is extremely significant. I suppose it is possible schizos are drawn to heavy pot use in their teenage years as a sort of self medication, but it seems unlikely. Actually, that's exactly it - people with a predisposition for schizophrenia are known to be drawn to drugs (particularly nicotine) in a form of self-medication. People with depression and ADHD are more likely to smoke tobacco as well, though the link there is a lot less strong than it is for schizophrenia. The link between cannabis and schizophrenia has also been studied, and it appears that marijuana can catalyze the onset of symptoms, but it won't produce them in someone who wasn't already going to develop schizophrenia anyway. So yes, if your family has a history of mental health issues, you probably want to stay away from marijuana. But otherwise, you're probably safe.
- saiya-jin 10y ago
  former GF has a father whose life-long schizophrenia was triggered after heavy drinking during draft military service. no other substance involved. messed up for rest of his life. if you have it in you, anything can trigger it. legal drugs, illegal drugs, stress & hardships of life and work, serious accidents, failed relationships and so on.