If marijuana was legalized in the US...

[Deleted]

Wrong, there was research conducted in 2010 which disproved the research conducted in 2009.

Sorry. You are wrong.

Abstract

Objective To determine whether use of cannabis in adolescence increases the risk for psychotic outcomes by affecting the incidence and persistence of subclinical expression of psychosis in the general population (that is, expression of psychosis below the level required for a clinical diagnosis).

Design Analysis of data from a prospective population based cohort study in Germany (early developmental stages of psychopathology study).

Setting Population based cohort study in Germany.

Participants 1923 individuals from the general population, aged 14-24 at baseline.

Main outcome measure Incidence and persistence of subthreshold psychotic symptoms after use of cannabis in adolescence. Cannabis use and psychotic symptoms were assessed at three time points (baseline, T2 (3.5 years), T3 (8.4 years)) over a 10 year follow-up period with the Munich version of the composite international diagnostic interview (M-CIDI).

Results In individuals who had no reported lifetime psychotic symptoms and no reported lifetime cannabis use at baseline, incident cannabis use over the period from baseline to T2 increased the risk of later incident psychotic symptoms over the period from T2 to T3 (adjusted odds ratio 1.9, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 3.1; P=0.021). Furthermore, continued use of cannabis increased the risk of persistent psychotic symptoms over the period from T2 to T3 (2.2, 1.2 to 4.2; P=0.016). The incidence rate of psychotic symptoms over the period from baseline to T2 was 31% (152) in exposed individuals versus 20% (284) in non-exposed individuals; over the period from T2 to T3 these rates were 14% (108) and 8% (49), respectively.

Conclusion Cannabis use is a risk factor for the development of incident psychotic symptoms. Continued cannabis use might increase the risk for psychotic disorder by impacting on the persistence of symptoms.

[Deleted]

I'd just like to say that cocaine isn't dangerous when you don't overdo it either. Let's legalize that while we're at it.

Heck, lots of drugs are perfectly safe if you don't overdo it. That is, perfectly safe for your body. All drugs do affect the mind though.

Well, what is the point to ban something for being bad for your body, when i can buy food, at the local store, that does significantly more damage to my body, both in moderation, and if overdone?

It should be illegal, if it harms someone besides the user.

Do you realize how cheap heroin would be, if the united states produces it themselves?

[Deleted]

I have to agree. It could trigger psychoses but why can no one prove it beyond a reasonable doubt without non-committal results?

Ehm, I know a girl who used to smoke a lot of marijuana. And she is fucked up in the head.
Her psychiatrist advised her to stop using it, but the damage has been done already. She's not allowed to have a job anymore.

She stopped using the drugs a few years ago, but I recently came across her and she's still not allowed to work. She's that much of a wreck apparently.

[Kaneth]

I work in a smallish Emergency Room at a local hospital, and we often times have discussions about how marijuana is not legalized when we have down time. We see many patients who have alcohol related problems, aka withdrawal, and then additional care due to health issues created by alcoholism. Many intoxicated people are either violent or belligerent, and eventually vomiting all over themselves or soil themselves, often times urinating and defecating themselves. Each time we see one of these patients one of us says, "Yeah....this is legal, but weed isn't". I can safely say that any time we've seen someone at my ER with a weed related problem was simply parents bringing in their child and wanting a drug screen. The kids are always polite to us, even if they are pissed as hell at their parents, and just go along with whatever needs to be done. They really just want to get the hell out of there. If anyone comes in with drug related issues, it's basically because of meth, or heroin as those are the most popular drugs in our area, aside from weed.

All things considered, alcohol should be the drug that is illegal, in comparison to marijuana. Although, neither should be illegal. People should have an inherent right to decide what to do with their bodies, especially after they become adults, within reason of course.

[Deleted]

Ehm, I know a girl who used to smoke a lot of marijuana. And she is fucked up in the head.
Her psychiatrist advised her to stop using it, but the damage has been done already. She's not allowed to have a job anymore.

She stopped using the drugs a few years ago, but I recently came across her and she's still not allowed to work. She's that much of a wreck apparently.

Seems very unlikely that cannabis was the prominent factor in her downfall.

[Larynx]

Sorry. You are wrong.

Abstract

Objective To determine whether use of cannabis in adolescence increases the risk for psychotic outcomes by affecting the incidence and persistence of subclinical expression of psychosis in the general population (that is, expression of psychosis below the level required for a clinical diagnosis).

Design Analysis of data from a prospective population based cohort study in Germany (early developmental stages of psychopathology study).

Setting Population based cohort study in Germany.

Participants 1923 individuals from the general population, aged 14-24 at baseline.

Main outcome measure Incidence and persistence of subthreshold psychotic symptoms after use of cannabis in adolescence. Cannabis use and psychotic symptoms were assessed at three time points (baseline, T2 (3.5 years), T3 (8.4 years)) over a 10 year follow-up period with the Munich version of the composite international diagnostic interview (M-CIDI).

Results In individuals who had no reported lifetime psychotic symptoms and no reported lifetime cannabis use at baseline, incident cannabis use over the period from baseline to T2 increased the risk of later incident psychotic symptoms over the period from T2 to T3 (adjusted odds ratio 1.9, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 3.1; P=0.021). Furthermore, continued use of cannabis increased the risk of persistent psychotic symptoms over the period from T2 to T3 (2.2, 1.2 to 4.2; P=0.016). The incidence rate of psychotic symptoms over the period from baseline to T2 was 31% (152) in exposed individuals versus 20% (284) in non-exposed individuals; over the period from T2 to T3 these rates were 14% (108) and 8% (49), respectively.

Conclusion Cannabis use is a risk factor for the development of incident psychotic symptoms. Continued cannabis use might increase the risk for psychotic disorder by impacting on the persistence of symptoms.

That's all I ever wanted.

[Badpaladin]

This thread has pretty much run its course. Back-and-forthing the same arguments every page isn't constructive.