Cannabis linked to earlier psychosis onset
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Researchers from Spain have found a strong and independent link between cannabis use and the onset of psychosis at a younger age. The association, they say, cannot be explained by chance, and is not related to gender or the use of other drugs. It is, however, related to the amount of cannabis used.
The researchers report that “estimates of the attributable risk suggest that the use of cannabis accounts for about 10 percent of cases of psychosis.”
The findings are based on 131 patients ages 15 to 65 years who needed inpatient care for a first psychotic episode during a 2-year period. The subjects were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, and clinical and demographic data were also collected.
The results showed a significant gradual reduction in the age at which psychosis began that correlated with an increased dependence on cannabis. Compared with nonusers, age at onset was reduced by 7, 8.5, and 12 years among users, abusers and dependents, respectively, the researchers report.
In further analysis, the effect of cannabis on age at onset “was not explained by the use of other drugs or by gender,” they also note. The finding was similar in the youngest patients, suggesting that this effect was not due to chance.
These results “point to cannabis as a dangerous drug in young people at risk of developing psychosis,” [the authors] conclude.
We at NORML have long argued for removing penalties for the responsible adult use of cannabis. We have also advocated against the non-medical use of cannabis by children and teens. That said, potential risks of psychosis for a small subset of young people does not mean we need to be locking up adults for using cannabis. Researchers estimate that about 1% of the population suffers from schizophrenia, and only 6.7% of all young people between 12-17 used marijuana in the past month, so we are really talking about very few possible cases here. That’s not to say that kids at risk for psychosis using marijuana isn’t something to worry about, but we should keep the problem in perspective, when millions more adults are using marijuana safely and without incident.
After reading this article, I must admit I am annoyed. I first tried marijuana four years ago, at the age of fourteen. Back then it had very little effect on me, so I would only use the drug rarely, once every few months at most. More recently, in autumn of 2007, I indeed began to see the onset of psychosis and major depression. In response to this, my doctor recommended I stop smoking marijuana (at that point I was smoking biweekly).
Immediately after I stopped smoking marijuana, I completely lost control of my psychotic symptoms. I began to have visual and auditory hallucinations of two individuals. In addition to hearing a very clear voice from one of these characters, I began to hallucinate music coming from the second individual. I had always had a fascination with the art of composition, and so at this point I began composing in earnest, writing down these strange melodies and ghostly harmonies as they appeared in my head.
My psychiatrist and I agreed to start a trial of the antipsychotic drug Seroquel, and when that failed, I also went through a trial Risperdal. Throughout all of this I was taking a regular dosage of Zoloft to combat my depression. Although the Zoloft did a pretty good job of clearing up the depression, the antipsychotic drugs confused me and ended up leading to more hallucinations, with more intensity. In November I checked into the psychiatric ward at Marquette General Hospital, and after staying only one night, I had made the decision to leave and find my own way of dealing with this illness, as conventional medical treatment was not working as it should.
A friend of mine recommended I start smoking marijuana again, but on a regular basis this time. I was wary at first, for I did not want to see an upswing in the amount or intensity of my hallucinations. However, I was surprised to find that within a week of smoking marijuana daily, my hallucinations had nearly vanished. The only thing that was left was my ability to compose. The drug that was said to cause the illness that I had been diagnosed with had ALL BUT CURED IT.
And now, in my eighteenth year, I have become a fully functional adult member of society. I received an honorable mention in a major composition competition, and I am traveling to New York City in January of 2009 to hear the world premier of one of my choral pieces. I am not naive enough to apportion all of my success to marijuana, but it has had a profound impact on my life and happiness.
To hear my music, visit http://www.myspace.com/thomaslavoy
‘Theseus and the Minotaur’ was written at the very height of my psychosis, and refined and edited after I had started treatment using marijuana.