Psychosis

A recent study from England was published in which it raised the question of marijuana use and the likelihood of developing a psychosis. In a MSNBC.com report, it was stated that "[e]ven limited use could up chance of serious mental illness by 40 percent."

From the web site for The Royal College of Psychiatrists, regarding cannabis and mental health, it was stated that "[t]here is growing evidence that people with serious mental illness, including depression and psychosis, are more likely to use cannabis or have used it for long periods of time in the past."

It seems that those most at risk are young people, adolescents, who begin using marijuana at an early age. That seems logical. The brain is still going through a development stage, up to around the age of 20, there could be interference problems with using mind altering drugs. Again, from The Royal College of Psychiatrists: "A massive process of 'neural pruning' is going on. This is rather like streamlining a tangled jumble of circuits so they can work more effectively. Any experience, or substance, that affects this process has the potential to produce long-term psychological effects."

In another article from the site, Alcohol: Our Favourite Drug The Royal College of Psychiatrists position is that "[m]ost people don't realise that alcohol causes much more harm than illegal drugs like heroin and cannabis. It is a tranquilizer, it is addictive and it helps to cause many hospital admissions for physical illness and accidents." Also, in the United States at least, according to the U.S. Justice Department, the use of alcohol is indicated in over 50% of all violent crime, which cannot be said for marijuana.

In an article from The Merck Manual of Health & Aging (Section 3, Chapter 32, Topic: Psychosis), under "Causes" (of psychoses) it states that "[e]xcessive alcohol use can cause temporary psychosis; chronic psychosis can result if the drinking is long-term."

My point here is that taking any drug, alcohol included, can be a risky business and not for minors, whose brains are not fully developed. This is a good reason why to make those drugs prohibited to minors and to punish those who provide it for them. But, even the legal drugs like alcohol and nicotine (tobacco) carry great risk to the users. As adults, we should be free to choose to risk our lives. But in a truly free and liberty-loving nation, the right to risk ones life does not create an equal obligation on society to take care of the risk-takers if things go bad for them. They make their choices, as adults, they must suffer the negative consequences if there are any. If they can get family or private help, fine, but taxpayers' money should not be used to help them.

Oh, by the way, the MSNBC.com article also said that "[t]he researchers said they couldn't prove that marijuana use itself increases the risk of psychosis.... There could be something else about marijuana users, 'like their tendency to use other drugs or certain personality traits, that could be causing the psychoses.'"