i have just read your claim on how you feel that cannibas helps contribute to persons developing schizophrenia.
"There is a higher rate of drug use among people experiencing mental health problems. When it comes to cannabis, the time has arrived for us -- legislators and parents -- to get tougher."
as you are quoted up above saying you will get tougher,but lets be honest here, you "getting tougher" or telling children about how it can help cause schizophrenia isnt going to stop them from using, cannibas opens up a persons mind into seeing things that you would never have noticed before, it helps with childrens learning, or everyones learning. just because people consider it a bad thing doesnt mean it is bad, anything can cause schizophrenia, not just this but i bet it wouldnt mean for us to stop, thats like saying because a person who has schizophrenia , or has it in their family back ground shouldnt have children. its a personal choice weither or not people would like to use cannibas or not. cannibas does good things for people with cancer so i cant really see if causes this disease. but that is just my own personal opinion. thank you.
Posted by: catherine mcweb at November 22, 2005 05:25 AM
Hi Catherine,
You're certainly entitled to your opinion - as is everyone.
We were quoting the Australian Prime Minister in this news article - and while we agree with him we were not expressing our own opinions.
There are over 30 research papers published by scientists that link increased risk of schizophrenia with Marijuana / Cannabis use - so the link seems pretty well established. So this isn't just a case of some people "considering it bad" - this is research by scientists that demonstrates to most people who evaluate and understand the research that it can significantly increase the chances that some people will get schizophrenia.
Most people agree that schizophrenia is not a good thing, and its the most expensive mental disorder (in terms of total cost in treatment and lost wages) - so most people may also agree that taking steps to minimize schizophrenia is also a good thing.
Of course you are also right in the claim that marijuana may be helpful for older people suffering from Cancer. But the answer for that issue is that drugs with the compounds in Cannabis need to be developed tht provide that benefit for peopel who have Cancer - and so therefore you help the people with Cancer, and you should also minimize the risk of younger people developing Schizophrenia (by taking steps to educate younger people about the risks - and also to try to reduce access to Cannabis by people who may not appreciate the risks to their mental health.
Anyway - thats my opinion.
Posted by: szadmin at November 22, 2005 03:32 PM
From experiance I can say, that taken with LSD, canibis dramtically heightens the risk of a bad or psychotic trip. Canibis for me has always caused paranoia and a state of psychosis which thankfully diminishes in normal time.
I admit canibis is vastly underestimated and a very powerful drug, especially as these days we are not using mere spliffs, but highly powerful gravity bongs.
That said tougher sentences and criminalising the users, is absurd. Crinimal in itself. I should think a ghastly experiance in prison more likely to induce skizophrenia, than any amount of canibis use.
For me the illegality factor of canibis, only served to mystify the drug, and draw me in with fascination from the naive age of twelve.
Posted by: L Douglas at December 3, 2005 04:18 AM
Perhaps The issue here is the interpretation of the scientific data presented. While there may be a four-out-of-five correlation to the use of canabis and the development of schizophrenia, to automatically assume that correlation necessitates causation is a logical falacy.
What is more likely and reasonably the case, is that schizophrenia is a highly unstable disorder, for which a patient carries the potential from birth. The onset of the disorder is triggered usually in late teenage years or the early twenties, and can be brought about by MANY things. The use of mind-altering drugs could very easily bring to the surface mental problems that were all along lying dormant or subtle. ... That being said, Canabis could be included (and probably should be) in the grouping of drugs that expand mental horizons, with the risk of aggitating pre-existing conditions. However, it is simply false to assume that these studies can reasonably infer that cannabis was the CAUSE of the disorder.
To do that, one would have to survey a large sampling of regular cannabis users, and calculate the percentages diagnosed with schizophrenia. Not the other way around as this study illustrates.
The other issue at hand is whether or not schizophrenia is truly a mental disorder....instead of an example of a highly powerful brain at work in a society that has not yet learned to relate to it. A society which has stifled the capacities of diagnosed patients by stigmatizing them, rather than develpoing methods of channeling their brain's power. It could easily be assumed that mind-expanding experiences (such as certain drug use or other experiences which have been known to trigger schizophrenia in patients) would unlock such potential brain power in gifted individuals. Individuals who know how/are capapble of handeling these experiences will not become "crazy" whereas those who do not, could find themselves locked into a labeled "disorder" But that's a different debate
Posted by: bri at December 3, 2005 07:12 PM
Hi - there are over 30 scientific research studies linking increased risk of schizophrenia to cannabis/marijuana use - so any one study is not conclusive in itself, and yes - association is not the same as causation. However - longer term studies with more people do have more value.
A famous study interviewed 50,000 conscripts into the Swedish Army about their drug consumption and followed them up. Those who were heavy consumers of cannabis at 18 were six times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia over the next 15 years than those did not take it.
I recommend anyone who questions these links between schizophrenia risk and cannabis/marijuana use - read all the studies before they try to refute them.
See the "Schizophrenia Causes and Prevention" page from the home page of schizophrenia.com
Posted by: szadmin at December 3, 2005 07:44 PM
Was very interested to read all opinions on how schizophrenia emerges in people and it's possible causes. I would be very interested to hear from anyone suffering from it. I should like to discuss voices and imagery associated with it and recieving messages from television and other media. Especially of interest to me are people who have believed that they were recieving telepathic communication from their voices. Please write soon. bealiebum@yahoo.co.uk
Posted by: jayne beal at December 4, 2005 08:59 AM
This is bullshit. I know some of the biggest pot smokers in the world that have been smoking for years, and none are at all in any way or form; developing Schizophrenia.
Posted by: Jessica at December 8, 2005 07:09 AM
Jessica,
Just because you know "some of the biggest pot smokers in the world" and they don't have schizophrenia - doesn't mean that cannabis/pot/marijuana doesn't significantly increae the risk of schizoprhenia for many people.
If you look at the "Causes and Prevention" factors in schizophrenia (go to our home page and click on the link that says "Causes and Prevention" you'll see that there are many factors involved in schizophrenia. The average person has a 1% chance of getting schizophrenia. Cannabis seems to increase that risk by between 300% and 1000% (or by 3 to 10 times what it was before the person smoked pot). So - given that the general risk of schizophrenia is only 1% - this means that for the average person it increases the risk to 3% to 10% - so for the average person who has had none of the other risk factors of schizophrenia - then they still have a 90% chance of not getting schizophrenia (though they may get depression, bipolar disorder, etc.). But - for those people who have some sort of predisposition to schizophrenia - their risk may go from 3% to 30%, or from 10% to 100%. Unfortunately its impossible to know right now who the people are who are predisposed, and those who are not!
Admin.
Posted by: szadmin at December 9, 2005 09:26 AM
My 32 year old son has been
diagnosed with schizophrenia.
unbeknown to me, he started
using marijuanna at age 17 and continued until he was 30
when he was diagnosed with the illness. He more than likely was predisposed to it and the use of marijuanna triggered it. His grandmother
suffers with psycotic depression which is similar
to schizophrenia. My son is
is doing excellent however,
has had a few opportunities to take a couple of drags from a joint and has gone into delusions and halucinations. which went
away within the day. He hopefully has learned his lesson. I am wondering if
he might have what is considered to be transient
schizophrenia. I wonder if
over time he will not need
to be on the geodon but only
zoloft and neuronton.
Any information on transient
schizophrenia?
Thanks Eileen
Posted by: eileen decker at December 9, 2005 03:45 PM
Hi! I think that another conclusion of these studies might be that schizophrenics are at an higher risk of cannabis use. The higher the risk of schizophrenia, the higher the risk of cannabis (and/or other drugs) use. I personnally find this hypothesis more likely than cannabis use promoting schizophrenia.
Posted by: Louis T. at December 9, 2005 06:31 PM
I have been smoking pot for about 4 years and im 17 years of age i think i have skitzophenia and theres no dout about it i am sure cannibus triggered my skitzophenia my mother an ex heroin user also has skitzophenia i get real paranoid, panic attaks, think people are plotting to kill me, and i just feel lost in a bubble with mad racing thoughts,as i write this im in a good mood and i feel fine but it is a very unstable mental disorder i would like to contribute my information and be more than happy to give extreamly usefull information if needed. i would like to discuse its realationship to delusion and mental telpathy. and also its possitive affects on a reality mabe our average society is not ready for because its no doubt cannibus opens up new doors and is a spiritual bond.
Posted by: pimpdaddycane at December 22, 2005 01:20 PM
I have been diognosed with , and find that pot helps give me some space to think, sure sometimes its hell, but i find if i can work through my mental state i am often better the next time around. I have been smoking since i was 16
and gave it up when i got Schitzophrenia, with no other medication helping i picked it up again and find that it is the only thing that get me back to myself, at the mement my mental state is pretty stable but over the past year i have been all over the place, however the pot seems to level me out alot quicker if im by myself. I get paranoid now but I sort of understand being paranoid because ive smoked pot for the past 10 years. Paranoia is like a panic attack with out the anxiety.
Is there any one else out there that has Schitzophrenia and thinks that pot helps the recovery... dispite what the Doctor tells you?
Posted by: Ben Nash at January 6, 2006 10:14 PM
Having being diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 30, I do believe that smoking pot (only twice at age 20+) resulted in me becoming ill. There is a family history of depression, and before my first psycosis I was under a lot of stress as well as insomnia. These factors could also have contributed. In my opinion marijuana can elevate the risk of developing schizophrenia in susceptible individuals (like myself). But one usually finds it out too late. I am currently on Risperdal, and hating every minute of taking this drug. Apart from the memory loss, insomnia, muscle twitching, lethargy, unmotivated state, this drug elevates my blood pressure. But, it keeps me from relapse. So I've learned to live with it, although there's no telling what its going to do to my body longer term. It's not easy living with schizoprhenia. willemlouw@mweb.co.za
Posted by: willem louw at February 20, 2006 12:31 PM
Its not Cannabis itself that causes schizophrenia, its the environment you use it in.
=)
If we use it and we feel shitty and unable to bare with life and use it as an escape, then ofcourse were prolonged to be enhanced into a shittier state of mind.
Weed can be your best friend or your worst enemy.
When I smoked it for the first time I heard voices..in the music and in the background of things.
I believe these are voices from my past life, in which im tapping into.
Crazy? Nah, whos to determine?
Posted by: Michelle Marsiglia at March 5, 2006 11:33 AM
I was in my twenties dating a woman that was in her forties and she had a daughter that developed schizophrenia and I'm almost sure marijuana was the cause of it.I know they say that marijuana is not addictive,well, she was 1 that seemed addicted to it.Me and her mom went out 1 night and when we got back to her house,the daughter came over and her clothes and her were in disarray and she said she had a fight with the devil and won.
Posted by: Bryon53067 at March 23, 2006 06:19 PM
Hello...my thoughts, are this, my older sister 32 has personality disorder, my brother 28 has schizophrenia. I think that marijuana did not cause their illnesses but however when the 2 of them decide to smoke pot it increases the likelihood of delusions, paranoia and f@#$ed up thoughts. That being said..mental illness is mental illness, drugs are drugs. brain damage and mind altering substances are NOT two in the same but perhaps co-existing issues...! For those who are not mentally ill or for those who are marijuana use is still an individual choice. but anything(polution,abusive situations,food additives,environment, etc) in this day and age can be to blame for mental illness being more rampid...and pot use also. thank you very much
Posted by: Loralie at July 18, 2006 07:45 AM
Who are you to say that what goes on in my head is not normal and is deserving of the title "ill" or a disorder'- especially if there is no real test to tell you so!
I submit that I define normal, and you are the mentally ill one. Absurd u say? Well then give me the defenition of normal. Also please list the criteria that must be met before I am deemed "mentally healthy". Dont give me broad terms that lead to nowhere, just the facts. Whatever you come up with, if I have to fit inside of the societal defenition of normal as a result of a LACK of a clear and concise defenition, then I embrace my insanity, schizo ways or whatever else society chooses to label me as. Only The Almighty him/herself can label me and he aint called me crazy so society cant either!!
Furthermore if society insists on calling me abnormal, mentally ill, disfunctional, or whatever else, then please help me to figure out where Bush fits into the picture. What about Einstein? Madman or genius? And what of one of our largest icons- Michael Jackson. How dare any one put me in a box based upon a barely confirmable, largely subjective perception of who I am!!! I embrace my insanity and in doing so choose to define sane and normal for myself (unless someone can define normal with definite terms) And from that perspective ALL OF YOU are nuts!!! And since i define normal and all of you are nuts I am free to be EXACTLY who I am as Almighty created me! My insanity has set me free!!! Embrace yours and be free too.
Posted by: loxowizz at March 8, 2007 03:56 PM
How can any such studies truly prove a link between marijuana usage and schizophrenia considering the fact that Scientists and Doctors don't understand what causes it in the first place. I believe it's more probable that people with a family history are more suseptable to early onset of Schizophrenia caused by marijuana, or other illicit substances. In effect the cannibus does not cause the illness, it excelarates the onset of symptoms. As far as Im concerned those studies are worthless and lack validity. I would like the Doctors who make these claims to answer one question. If cannibus causes all these people to get schizophrenia, than explain how all the other patients, who have no drug histories became schizophrenic? But that's just my point , they don't know.
Posted by: Daniel Tanner at March 16, 2007 03:14 AM
Do we know for sure that marijuana increases the risk of schizophrenia. It seems to me that these studies looked at people who smoked marijuana and people who did not. It compared the numbers and the people who smoked marijuana turned out to be schizophrenic more than the people who didn't. Couldn't it be that the people who smoked marijuana were already going to develop schizophrenia, and, because of their psychological state, happened to like smoking marijuana more than others. All I'm saying is it seems to me that a lot of articles and scientific studies like this one have tendencies to jump to conclusions.
Posted by: Eric at March 20, 2007 11:05 PM
My personal opinion-smoking marijuana has actually helped me with my schizophrenia.-and with my fiancee`. I've been smoking since I was 14. My fiancee` has been since he was in the 7th grade. He's been diagnosed with Schizophrenia since he was the age of 7. I have been diagnosed since I was 13-14 years old. We both used to get horrible visions and would always be cautious about things. When I started smoking marijuana, it cleared out my mind and I haven't had a horrible trip since. Same thing with my fiancee`. Once in a while our schizophrenia kicks in and we can't control it. But that happens every once in a while. But that's my view on developing Schizophrenia from smoking pot.
Posted by: Kealoha at April 16, 2007 04:55 PM
Although there does seem to be a signifigant correlation between marijuana use and schizophrenia, it should be noted that there is also a high correlation between cigarette smoking and schizophrenia. It could well be that people who are prone to develop schizophrenia engage in substance abuse, and have a higher propensity for abusing these substances.For a disease that only occurs in 1% of the population, and given the large number of people who abuse marijuana before the age of 18 > 50 times, the numbers just don't add up- there should be way more people developing schizophrenia then there actually are-also, caffeine has also been a known trigger for positive symptoms of schizophrenia
Posted by: Brittany Long at May 4, 2007 12:45 AM
Since my last comment was deleted, I wonder how true it may have been. I simply stated that the marijuana use may not have been what caused the mental illness, but the mental illness is what caused the marijuana use. Perhaps in attempts to self-medicate (whether they realized why they were doing it or not) they used marijuana, and of course, later reported it when taking part in these studies. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? No study could be controlled enough to say one way or the other. Unless, perhaps, they studied groups of people from birth.
Posted by: Denylle at May 16, 2007 10:00 AM
OK... SO WHO WANTS TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT MARIJUANA..
Marijuana is a beautiful drug to use. And does wonders for everybody.
Theres an extremely fine line that people need to see before they get themselves into danger.
Social smoking once a week. Fine..
If U Do Start Smoking alone. your screwed.
I have been sittin in my home smoking marijuana alone non stop for 6 months. And I mean non stop.
yet sayin this must i mention this only because i have recently recieved a lump sum amount of money too pay for it constantly.
I am mental. i have skitzophrenia and i havent even been diagnosed, but im tapping out completely everyday.
I wake up at approx 7.30am each morning. If i dont have that cone by 10am. You dont wanna know me.
I stress out, i feel as though my thoughts are racing, im paranoid 24/7 wondering what the hell ppl are thinking of me, im very lazy and unmotivated - my house is always a mess. i start to feel sick i get stomach cramps. Generally when it reaches 1pm im in the bathroom throwing up. i fight with everyone. I cannot eat without it because food tastes oh so good when your stoned, well in my case im very used to eating wen im stoned. if i go without weed i go without food your just simply not hungry enough.. isomnia like crazy.. i will NOT sleep unless i have had a certain amount. People look at me funny when im just bein myself. which has drawn me too my only and lovely best friend in the whole wide world my bong.oh and on top of this when im not stoned i get angry and i get bad thoughts i want to kill myself alot of the time cause i cant stand the pain of bein straight and sometimes i think of killing or hurting others. ive never done this in my life....
if anybody can help me pls do so.. i need help i just dnt have much support and i dont kno how 2 do it...... it sucks. pls help me somebody. even if u need info yourself about it. just somebody to talk to about it,,, its hurting me.. ive gone insane..
Posted by: Nads at June 16, 2007 10:15 AM
I've never met anyone who smoked weed and improved their quality of life. I've seen what it's done to some of my family and friends, and they just stopped using it altogether when it's insidious nature became a problem.
Posted by: k at June 30, 2007 06:11 PM
I've smoked pot for seventeen years.
To all the die-hard pot smokers who have a copy of The Emperor Wears No Clothes on their bookshelf... I disagree with most of you. I personally feel that these scientists and doctors know what they're talking about. These guys are in the top one-percent of educated people. I don't think they write this stuff up just to annoy pot smokers.
No... marijuana doesn't MAKE someone schizophrenic, but if you have any brain cells left you'd realize they haven't been blaming marijuana. They're just stating the results of several findings. I have no reason to not believe these people. It is no longer the 1950's, Nixon is no longer president -- science during the 21st century isn't lying. They're right.
I can imagine a bunch of idiot pot smokers saying "Yeah but... what about these multi-billion dollar drug companies trying to cast a negative light on marijuana as if their drugs are any better!" That's just typical uneducated, pot-heat, conspiracy theory crap.
Posted by: Rich at July 10, 2007 02:39 AM
Okay...so I'm totally confused and kind of scared as to how sane I am. I was 14, the first time I smoked pot, and I only had one hit. It was unpleasurable and I just got paranoid and delusional, ended up blacking out, then all I remember was waking up (in a different part of the house) to a few of my friends asking me if I was okay and that I "flipped out" and was rocking back in forth "thinking I was dead". It took me a good year or so to even try smoking pot again. Clearly I was embarrassed and didn't want to act like that again.
When I did smoke again, it was pleasurable and relaxing. I started smoking regularly with friends at parties, at least once or twice a month from age 16 to 18.
I then started dating someone who resented people for doing drugs, he had never smoked before. I figured it was no big deal to stop smoking pot, and had no problem stopping for the sake of stopping. We were together for 4 years, I didn't do any drugs and we only drank occasionally. He was about 10 years my elder and had a child so party scenes weren't his thing. We finally broke up 4 years later and I decided to "cut loose". I started smoking pot again!
It was exciting to be able to do what I wanted. But, after after about 3 months after our break-up and smoking only 1-2 times each month, I had my second weird experience with pot.
I was at a friend's house, I smoked one hit of his pot and within seconds was stoned. Then it felt I was going in and out of reality. My thoughts were racing, even though time was passing so slow. I couldn't speak, for fear of saying something weird or freaking out again. Everytime my friend would say something, I could have sworn he was reading my thoughts, was planning on killing/hurting me. I tried to play it cool by pretending nothing was wrong and answering with one word answers. I remember just sitting for for what seemed like eternity, the sun from the window felt like it was "literally" burning me alive. The music was slow and demonic. When I went to look through his music collection, I could have sworn the titles of the songs were things like, "Satan's Work." "You're Dead" "Time's Up" "This is Hell" "God is Here"...I suddenly started seeing "demons" with swirling faces on the walls, they were all screaming. I saw what appeared to me as Satan in the reflection of something(I've been an athiest all my life, so its weird I had this hell hallucination). I was there for at least 4 hours and the whole time was non-stop hallucination, and it wasn't letting up. I, somehow, played it cool and ended up leaving telling him I had a prior engagement. I drove him thinking my car was about to lift out of the air and voices were telling me to kill myself and cut my flash off. Once I got home I passed out in my car, my brother woke me up and I was still hallucinating. I remember telling him I was dead and how I had just seen the devil and how I missed him already (now that I was dead). This "episode" lasted a good 10 hours and it scared the living shit out of me.
I didn't smoke pot for at least another month. I tried it again, just wondering if it would happen and it did! These "episodes" have happened four times all together, all due to smoking as little as one hit of pot. People might think its stupid I tried it 3 times after the first episode, but after reading and researching no one seems to think that smoking pot links to psychosis/schizophrenia. But now its the only thing that triggers my psychosis.
For me this problem is both embarrassing and scary. My boyfriend and most my family and close friends smoke pot regularly. I'm always "passing" for fear of going psycho. I've had many pleasurable experiences smoking, but am now terrified at the chances I might flip out in front of someone.
No one I know, knows about this problem, and its really hard to talk about without thinking they will laugh at me or thinking I'm some sort of freak of nature.
I'm going to a psychologist who is wanting to put me on antipsycotic meds, but what I haven't told her (because its embarrassing) is that what causes these episodes are smoking pot.
My main question is: Do I have a pre-existing schizophrenic mind that only comes out after the use of marijuana and could quite possibly surface at other times? Or is my mind okay and its only the effect of marijuana? (I'm only asking this because NO ONE has anything bad to say about smoking pot, all I hear is how safe and beneficial it is suppose to be to my health)
And...are my episodes what smoking pot is suppose to feel like? Can I just not handle how pot is suppose to make you feel? Everyone says they feel "relaxed and its a good way to clear their mind." To me its a panic attack and exploding feeling of my mind/visit to some sort of paranormal hell.
So am I crazy...???? Please let me know.
Posted by: Natalie at September 22, 2007 02:07 AM
Hi,
You're (not) insane Natalie.
I've been enjoying smoking pot for half a year now and it has been mostly really relaxing and pleasant experience. We had only smoked same weed everytime until last time we tried something new.
We weren't so sure about the effectiveness of the new weed we got, only had read that its powerful. I didn't know whats "powerful" at that moment but now I surely do.
First it was really cool and exciting to experience these new feelings but when we kept smoking more it went totally insane. At one point I just awoke on a thought that we actually communicated telepathically. I felt that I knew everything my friend was telling me before he even told anything. I felt that we didn't even have to speak because we read others minds. I felt that I knew my friends every next move and all in all I actually felt that we we're the same or connected in one mind.
At the moment I realized this I got panicked. It just felt as real as when being sober. I felt that we had taken it too far and we shouldn't been experience these things - we shouldn't play with our mental.
We made some tests to try to prove our(or my) telepathic skills but we couldn't prove it though i think we should've had more tests. That left me very confused - were everything just hallucination or does weed really trigger some telepathic abilities?
I remember many times when we smoked and got these enormeous laughing sessions that put me thinking how our laugh everytime feels like its synchronized, like we would laugh to same things or something. Also when another of us felt something special he could tell about it and soon both of us felt the same.
I've only heard telepathic experiences happen when using really powerful substances like LSD or Salvia though I don't know if anyone ever proved these experiences to be real or hallucinations.
Both ways I think weed is a really powerful drug and got huuuge potential to make you paranoidic/schizophrenic (like I am now since I dont know if it was real or not).
My conclusion:
IF weed triggers telepathic abilities = really powerful drug
IF weed makes you 100% sure to have unreal telepathic abilities while tripping = really powerful drug
I totally believe in those studies that pot is dangerous for your mental health and state.
I know if I don't stop using it now I will go insane.
Andy
Posted by: Andy at October 24, 2007 01:53 AM
Thanks for putting up this valuable information. I began experiencing symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia around age 20. I believed that an angel had contacted me and was preparing me on a path to meet God. This angel spoke to me in my thoughts. I had auditory and visual hallucinations and believed I had telepathic powers. People on radio and television seemed to be speaking directly to me.
It is now 30 years later and through a process mainly of trial and error, I have managed to correct most of the delusional thinking. I still have symptoms, but in most cases I can recognize and ignore them.
I can say from experience that drug use, especially of marijuana and LSD, increased the symptoms many-fold. I used to love getting high, but now I dread it and only smoke very, very occasionally. I wouldn't even consider dropping acid because the paranoid delusions are so unpleasant.
If you have never experienced schizophrenia, understand that it is not like getting high, watching MTV and munching out on corn chips. It is a real break from reality, and it doesn't end after two hours.
Posted by: Steve at December 12, 2007 02:37 PM
Wow, you know I have been wondering this myself. I've smoked since I was 18(I'm 27 now) off and on. I think I'm a light smoker due to that it takes a month or more to smoke a quarter oz. Never did it more than 2 months straight and usually took about a 6 - 8 month break before smoking again. Well, all about 2 yrs ago I've been living by myself and started to smoke more often. I smoked for about 4 months straight, still requiring a month to smoke a quarter oz. But, I got a deal buying some from a friend and got 2 oz from the same batch. The first ounce was just like the rest of my experiences, usual high feeling. Had the other oz in the freezer. Got home one day from work and took it out of the freezer and smoked like usual. Everything was fine at first, but out of nowhere I was thinking very bad thoughts. Like someone was spying on me, plotting to hurt me. I thought it was real enough I called the cops to my place. Thank god they didn't take me in for having pot at my place, they just told me to hide it (lol). But, ever since then, If I smoke I have these types of experiences now. Thought that maybe it was laced but it was the same batch and any weed seems to trigger this effect.
Posted by: Tech at January 2, 2008 07:08 PM
i think that pot is addictive and too much trouble becuase its illegal, expensive and bad for your health. i wish i knew this when i started years ago...
Posted by: pinelopiad at February 24, 2008 06:02 PM
i have just read your claim on how you feel that cannibas helps contribute to persons developing schizophrenia.
"There is a higher rate of drug use among people experiencing mental health problems. When it comes to cannabis, the time has arrived for us -- legislators and parents -- to get tougher."
as you are quoted up above saying you will get tougher,but lets be honest here, you "getting tougher" or telling children about how it can help cause schizophrenia isnt going to stop them from using, cannibas opens up a persons mind into seeing things that you would never have noticed before, it helps with childrens learning, or everyones learning. just because people consider it a bad thing doesnt mean it is bad, anything can cause schizophrenia, not just this but i bet it wouldnt mean for us to stop, thats like saying because a person who has schizophrenia , or has it in their family back ground shouldnt have children. its a personal choice weither or not people would like to use cannibas or not. cannibas does good things for people with cancer so i cant really see if causes this disease. but that is just my own personal opinion. thank you.
Posted by: catherine mcweb at November 22, 2005 05:25 AM
Hi Catherine,
You're certainly entitled to your opinion - as is everyone.
We were quoting the Australian Prime Minister in this news article - and while we agree with him we were not expressing our own opinions.
There are over 30 research papers published by scientists that link increased risk of schizophrenia with Marijuana / Cannabis use - so the link seems pretty well established. So this isn't just a case of some people "considering it bad" - this is research by scientists that demonstrates to most people who evaluate and understand the research that it can significantly increase the chances that some people will get schizophrenia.
Most people agree that schizophrenia is not a good thing, and its the most expensive mental disorder (in terms of total cost in treatment and lost wages) - so most people may also agree that taking steps to minimize schizophrenia is also a good thing.
Of course you are also right in the claim that marijuana may be helpful for older people suffering from Cancer. But the answer for that issue is that drugs with the compounds in Cannabis need to be developed tht provide that benefit for peopel who have Cancer - and so therefore you help the people with Cancer, and you should also minimize the risk of younger people developing Schizophrenia (by taking steps to educate younger people about the risks - and also to try to reduce access to Cannabis by people who may not appreciate the risks to their mental health.
Anyway - thats my opinion.
Posted by: szadmin at November 22, 2005 03:32 PM
From experiance I can say, that taken with LSD, canibis dramtically heightens the risk of a bad or psychotic trip. Canibis for me has always caused paranoia and a state of psychosis which thankfully diminishes in normal time.
I admit canibis is vastly underestimated and a very powerful drug, especially as these days we are not using mere spliffs, but highly powerful gravity bongs.
That said tougher sentences and criminalising the users, is absurd. Crinimal in itself. I should think a ghastly experiance in prison more likely to induce skizophrenia, than any amount of canibis use.
For me the illegality factor of canibis, only served to mystify the drug, and draw me in with fascination from the naive age of twelve.
Posted by: L Douglas at December 3, 2005 04:18 AM
Perhaps The issue here is the interpretation of the scientific data presented. While there may be a four-out-of-five correlation to the use of canabis and the development of schizophrenia, to automatically assume that correlation necessitates causation is a logical falacy.
What is more likely and reasonably the case, is that schizophrenia is a highly unstable disorder, for which a patient carries the potential from birth. The onset of the disorder is triggered usually in late teenage years or the early twenties, and can be brought about by MANY things. The use of mind-altering drugs could very easily bring to the surface mental problems that were all along lying dormant or subtle. ... That being said, Canabis could be included (and probably should be) in the grouping of drugs that expand mental horizons, with the risk of aggitating pre-existing conditions. However, it is simply false to assume that these studies can reasonably infer that cannabis was the CAUSE of the disorder.
To do that, one would have to survey a large sampling of regular cannabis users, and calculate the percentages diagnosed with schizophrenia. Not the other way around as this study illustrates.
The other issue at hand is whether or not schizophrenia is truly a mental disorder....instead of an example of a highly powerful brain at work in a society that has not yet learned to relate to it. A society which has stifled the capacities of diagnosed patients by stigmatizing them, rather than develpoing methods of channeling their brain's power. It could easily be assumed that mind-expanding experiences (such as certain drug use or other experiences which have been known to trigger schizophrenia in patients) would unlock such potential brain power in gifted individuals. Individuals who know how/are capapble of handeling these experiences will not become "crazy" whereas those who do not, could find themselves locked into a labeled "disorder" But that's a different debate
Posted by: bri at December 3, 2005 07:12 PM
Hi - there are over 30 scientific research studies linking increased risk of schizophrenia to cannabis/marijuana use - so any one study is not conclusive in itself, and yes - association is not the same as causation. However - longer term studies with more people do have more value.
A famous study interviewed 50,000 conscripts into the Swedish Army about their drug consumption and followed them up. Those who were heavy consumers of cannabis at 18 were six times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia over the next 15 years than those did not take it.
I recommend anyone who questions these links between schizophrenia risk and cannabis/marijuana use - read all the studies before they try to refute them.
See the "Schizophrenia Causes and Prevention" page from the home page of schizophrenia.com
Posted by: szadmin at December 3, 2005 07:44 PM
Was very interested to read all opinions on how schizophrenia emerges in people and it's possible causes. I would be very interested to hear from anyone suffering from it. I should like to discuss voices and imagery associated with it and recieving messages from television and other media. Especially of interest to me are people who have believed that they were recieving telepathic communication from their voices. Please write soon. bealiebum@yahoo.co.uk
Posted by: jayne beal at December 4, 2005 08:59 AM
This is bullshit. I know some of the biggest pot smokers in the world that have been smoking for years, and none are at all in any way or form; developing Schizophrenia.
Posted by: Jessica at December 8, 2005 07:09 AM
Jessica,
Just because you know "some of the biggest pot smokers in the world" and they don't have schizophrenia - doesn't mean that cannabis/pot/marijuana doesn't significantly increae the risk of schizoprhenia for many people.
If you look at the "Causes and Prevention" factors in schizophrenia (go to our home page and click on the link that says "Causes and Prevention" you'll see that there are many factors involved in schizophrenia. The average person has a 1% chance of getting schizophrenia. Cannabis seems to increase that risk by between 300% and 1000% (or by 3 to 10 times what it was before the person smoked pot). So - given that the general risk of schizophrenia is only 1% - this means that for the average person it increases the risk to 3% to 10% - so for the average person who has had none of the other risk factors of schizophrenia - then they still have a 90% chance of not getting schizophrenia (though they may get depression, bipolar disorder, etc.). But - for those people who have some sort of predisposition to schizophrenia - their risk may go from 3% to 30%, or from 10% to 100%. Unfortunately its impossible to know right now who the people are who are predisposed, and those who are not!
Admin.
Posted by: szadmin at December 9, 2005 09:26 AM
My 32 year old son has been
diagnosed with schizophrenia.
unbeknown to me, he started
using marijuanna at age 17 and continued until he was 30
when he was diagnosed with the illness. He more than likely was predisposed to it and the use of marijuanna triggered it. His grandmother
suffers with psycotic depression which is similar
to schizophrenia. My son is
is doing excellent however,
has had a few opportunities to take a couple of drags from a joint and has gone into delusions and halucinations. which went
away within the day. He hopefully has learned his lesson. I am wondering if
he might have what is considered to be transient
schizophrenia. I wonder if
over time he will not need
to be on the geodon but only
zoloft and neuronton.
Any information on transient
schizophrenia?
Thanks Eileen
Posted by: eileen decker at December 9, 2005 03:45 PM
Hi! I think that another conclusion of these studies might be that schizophrenics are at an higher risk of cannabis use. The higher the risk of schizophrenia, the higher the risk of cannabis (and/or other drugs) use. I personnally find this hypothesis more likely than cannabis use promoting schizophrenia.
Posted by: Louis T. at December 9, 2005 06:31 PM
I have been smoking pot for about 4 years and im 17 years of age i think i have skitzophenia and theres no dout about it i am sure cannibus triggered my skitzophenia my mother an ex heroin user also has skitzophenia i get real paranoid, panic attaks, think people are plotting to kill me, and i just feel lost in a bubble with mad racing thoughts,as i write this im in a good mood and i feel fine but it is a very unstable mental disorder i would like to contribute my information and be more than happy to give extreamly usefull information if needed. i would like to discuse its realationship to delusion and mental telpathy. and also its possitive affects on a reality mabe our average society is not ready for because its no doubt cannibus opens up new doors and is a spiritual bond.
Posted by: pimpdaddycane at December 22, 2005 01:20 PM
I have been diognosed with , and find that pot helps give me some space to think, sure sometimes its hell, but i find if i can work through my mental state i am often better the next time around. I have been smoking since i was 16
and gave it up when i got Schitzophrenia, with no other medication helping i picked it up again and find that it is the only thing that get me back to myself, at the mement my mental state is pretty stable but over the past year i have been all over the place, however the pot seems to level me out alot quicker if im by myself. I get paranoid now but I sort of understand being paranoid because ive smoked pot for the past 10 years. Paranoia is like a panic attack with out the anxiety.
Is there any one else out there that has Schitzophrenia and thinks that pot helps the recovery... dispite what the Doctor tells you?
Posted by: Ben Nash at January 6, 2006 10:14 PM
Having being diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 30, I do believe that smoking pot (only twice at age 20+) resulted in me becoming ill. There is a family history of depression, and before my first psycosis I was under a lot of stress as well as insomnia. These factors could also have contributed. In my opinion marijuana can elevate the risk of developing schizophrenia in susceptible individuals (like myself). But one usually finds it out too late. I am currently on Risperdal, and hating every minute of taking this drug. Apart from the memory loss, insomnia, muscle twitching, lethargy, unmotivated state, this drug elevates my blood pressure. But, it keeps me from relapse. So I've learned to live with it, although there's no telling what its going to do to my body longer term. It's not easy living with schizoprhenia. willemlouw@mweb.co.za
Posted by: willem louw at February 20, 2006 12:31 PM
Its not Cannabis itself that causes schizophrenia, its the environment you use it in.
=)
If we use it and we feel shitty and unable to bare with life and use it as an escape, then ofcourse were prolonged to be enhanced into a shittier state of mind.
Weed can be your best friend or your worst enemy.
When I smoked it for the first time I heard voices..in the music and in the background of things.
I believe these are voices from my past life, in which im tapping into.
Crazy? Nah, whos to determine?
Posted by: Michelle Marsiglia at March 5, 2006 11:33 AM
I was in my twenties dating a woman that was in her forties and she had a daughter that developed schizophrenia and I'm almost sure marijuana was the cause of it.I know they say that marijuana is not addictive,well, she was 1 that seemed addicted to it.Me and her mom went out 1 night and when we got back to her house,the daughter came over and her clothes and her were in disarray and she said she had a fight with the devil and won.
Posted by: Bryon53067 at March 23, 2006 06:19 PM
Hello...my thoughts, are this, my older sister 32 has personality disorder, my brother 28 has schizophrenia. I think that marijuana did not cause their illnesses but however when the 2 of them decide to smoke pot it increases the likelihood of delusions, paranoia and f@#$ed up thoughts. That being said..mental illness is mental illness, drugs are drugs. brain damage and mind altering substances are NOT two in the same but perhaps co-existing issues...! For those who are not mentally ill or for those who are marijuana use is still an individual choice. but anything(polution,abusive situations,food additives,environment, etc) in this day and age can be to blame for mental illness being more rampid...and pot use also. thank you very much
Posted by: Loralie at July 18, 2006 07:45 AM
Who are you to say that what goes on in my head is not normal and is deserving of the title "ill" or a disorder'- especially if there is no real test to tell you so!
I submit that I define normal, and you are the mentally ill one. Absurd u say? Well then give me the defenition of normal. Also please list the criteria that must be met before I am deemed "mentally healthy". Dont give me broad terms that lead to nowhere, just the facts. Whatever you come up with, if I have to fit inside of the societal defenition of normal as a result of a LACK of a clear and concise defenition, then I embrace my insanity, schizo ways or whatever else society chooses to label me as. Only The Almighty him/herself can label me and he aint called me crazy so society cant either!!
Furthermore if society insists on calling me abnormal, mentally ill, disfunctional, or whatever else, then please help me to figure out where Bush fits into the picture. What about Einstein? Madman or genius? And what of one of our largest icons- Michael Jackson. How dare any one put me in a box based upon a barely confirmable, largely subjective perception of who I am!!! I embrace my insanity and in doing so choose to define sane and normal for myself (unless someone can define normal with definite terms) And from that perspective ALL OF YOU are nuts!!! And since i define normal and all of you are nuts I am free to be EXACTLY who I am as Almighty created me! My insanity has set me free!!! Embrace yours and be free too.
Posted by: loxowizz at March 8, 2007 03:56 PM
How can any such studies truly prove a link between marijuana usage and schizophrenia considering the fact that Scientists and Doctors don't understand what causes it in the first place. I believe it's more probable that people with a family history are more suseptable to early onset of Schizophrenia caused by marijuana, or other illicit substances. In effect the cannibus does not cause the illness, it excelarates the onset of symptoms. As far as Im concerned those studies are worthless and lack validity. I would like the Doctors who make these claims to answer one question. If cannibus causes all these people to get schizophrenia, than explain how all the other patients, who have no drug histories became schizophrenic? But that's just my point , they don't know.
Posted by: Daniel Tanner at March 16, 2007 03:14 AM
Do we know for sure that marijuana increases the risk of schizophrenia. It seems to me that these studies looked at people who smoked marijuana and people who did not. It compared the numbers and the people who smoked marijuana turned out to be schizophrenic more than the people who didn't. Couldn't it be that the people who smoked marijuana were already going to develop schizophrenia, and, because of their psychological state, happened to like smoking marijuana more than others. All I'm saying is it seems to me that a lot of articles and scientific studies like this one have tendencies to jump to conclusions.
Posted by: Eric at March 20, 2007 11:05 PM
My personal opinion-smoking marijuana has actually helped me with my schizophrenia.-and with my fiancee`. I've been smoking since I was 14. My fiancee` has been since he was in the 7th grade. He's been diagnosed with Schizophrenia since he was the age of 7. I have been diagnosed since I was 13-14 years old. We both used to get horrible visions and would always be cautious about things. When I started smoking marijuana, it cleared out my mind and I haven't had a horrible trip since. Same thing with my fiancee`. Once in a while our schizophrenia kicks in and we can't control it. But that happens every once in a while. But that's my view on developing Schizophrenia from smoking pot.
Posted by: Kealoha at April 16, 2007 04:55 PM
Although there does seem to be a signifigant correlation between marijuana use and schizophrenia, it should be noted that there is also a high correlation between cigarette smoking and schizophrenia. It could well be that people who are prone to develop schizophrenia engage in substance abuse, and have a higher propensity for abusing these substances.For a disease that only occurs in 1% of the population, and given the large number of people who abuse marijuana before the age of 18 > 50 times, the numbers just don't add up- there should be way more people developing schizophrenia then there actually are-also, caffeine has also been a known trigger for positive symptoms of schizophrenia
Posted by: Brittany Long at May 4, 2007 12:45 AM
Since my last comment was deleted, I wonder how true it may have been. I simply stated that the marijuana use may not have been what caused the mental illness, but the mental illness is what caused the marijuana use. Perhaps in attempts to self-medicate (whether they realized why they were doing it or not) they used marijuana, and of course, later reported it when taking part in these studies. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? No study could be controlled enough to say one way or the other. Unless, perhaps, they studied groups of people from birth.
Posted by: Denylle at May 16, 2007 10:00 AM
OK... SO WHO WANTS TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT MARIJUANA..
Marijuana is a beautiful drug to use. And does wonders for everybody.
Theres an extremely fine line that people need to see before they get themselves into danger.
Social smoking once a week. Fine..
If U Do Start Smoking alone. your screwed.
I have been sittin in my home smoking marijuana alone non stop for 6 months. And I mean non stop.
yet sayin this must i mention this only because i have recently recieved a lump sum amount of money too pay for it constantly.
I am mental. i have skitzophrenia and i havent even been diagnosed, but im tapping out completely everyday.
I wake up at approx 7.30am each morning. If i dont have that cone by 10am. You dont wanna know me.
I stress out, i feel as though my thoughts are racing, im paranoid 24/7 wondering what the hell ppl are thinking of me, im very lazy and unmotivated - my house is always a mess. i start to feel sick i get stomach cramps. Generally when it reaches 1pm im in the bathroom throwing up. i fight with everyone. I cannot eat without it because food tastes oh so good when your stoned, well in my case im very used to eating wen im stoned. if i go without weed i go without food your just simply not hungry enough.. isomnia like crazy.. i will NOT sleep unless i have had a certain amount. People look at me funny when im just bein myself. which has drawn me too my only and lovely best friend in the whole wide world my bong.oh and on top of this when im not stoned i get angry and i get bad thoughts i want to kill myself alot of the time cause i cant stand the pain of bein straight and sometimes i think of killing or hurting others. ive never done this in my life....
if anybody can help me pls do so.. i need help i just dnt have much support and i dont kno how 2 do it...... it sucks. pls help me somebody. even if u need info yourself about it. just somebody to talk to about it,,, its hurting me.. ive gone insane..
Posted by: Nads at June 16, 2007 10:15 AM
I've never met anyone who smoked weed and improved their quality of life. I've seen what it's done to some of my family and friends, and they just stopped using it altogether when it's insidious nature became a problem.
Posted by: k at June 30, 2007 06:11 PM
I've smoked pot for seventeen years.
To all the die-hard pot smokers who have a copy of The Emperor Wears No Clothes on their bookshelf... I disagree with most of you. I personally feel that these scientists and doctors know what they're talking about. These guys are in the top one-percent of educated people. I don't think they write this stuff up just to annoy pot smokers.
No... marijuana doesn't MAKE someone schizophrenic, but if you have any brain cells left you'd realize they haven't been blaming marijuana. They're just stating the results of several findings. I have no reason to not believe these people. It is no longer the 1950's, Nixon is no longer president -- science during the 21st century isn't lying. They're right.
I can imagine a bunch of idiot pot smokers saying "Yeah but... what about these multi-billion dollar drug companies trying to cast a negative light on marijuana as if their drugs are any better!" That's just typical uneducated, pot-heat, conspiracy theory crap.
Posted by: Rich at July 10, 2007 02:39 AM
Okay...so I'm totally confused and kind of scared as to how sane I am. I was 14, the first time I smoked pot, and I only had one hit. It was unpleasurable and I just got paranoid and delusional, ended up blacking out, then all I remember was waking up (in a different part of the house) to a few of my friends asking me if I was okay and that I "flipped out" and was rocking back in forth "thinking I was dead". It took me a good year or so to even try smoking pot again. Clearly I was embarrassed and didn't want to act like that again.
When I did smoke again, it was pleasurable and relaxing. I started smoking regularly with friends at parties, at least once or twice a month from age 16 to 18.
I then started dating someone who resented people for doing drugs, he had never smoked before. I figured it was no big deal to stop smoking pot, and had no problem stopping for the sake of stopping. We were together for 4 years, I didn't do any drugs and we only drank occasionally. He was about 10 years my elder and had a child so party scenes weren't his thing. We finally broke up 4 years later and I decided to "cut loose". I started smoking pot again!
It was exciting to be able to do what I wanted. But, after after about 3 months after our break-up and smoking only 1-2 times each month, I had my second weird experience with pot.
I was at a friend's house, I smoked one hit of his pot and within seconds was stoned. Then it felt I was going in and out of reality. My thoughts were racing, even though time was passing so slow. I couldn't speak, for fear of saying something weird or freaking out again. Everytime my friend would say something, I could have sworn he was reading my thoughts, was planning on killing/hurting me. I tried to play it cool by pretending nothing was wrong and answering with one word answers. I remember just sitting for for what seemed like eternity, the sun from the window felt like it was "literally" burning me alive. The music was slow and demonic. When I went to look through his music collection, I could have sworn the titles of the songs were things like, "Satan's Work." "You're Dead" "Time's Up" "This is Hell" "God is Here"...I suddenly started seeing "demons" with swirling faces on the walls, they were all screaming. I saw what appeared to me as Satan in the reflection of something(I've been an athiest all my life, so its weird I had this hell hallucination). I was there for at least 4 hours and the whole time was non-stop hallucination, and it wasn't letting up. I, somehow, played it cool and ended up leaving telling him I had a prior engagement. I drove him thinking my car was about to lift out of the air and voices were telling me to kill myself and cut my flash off. Once I got home I passed out in my car, my brother woke me up and I was still hallucinating. I remember telling him I was dead and how I had just seen the devil and how I missed him already (now that I was dead). This "episode" lasted a good 10 hours and it scared the living shit out of me.
I didn't smoke pot for at least another month. I tried it again, just wondering if it would happen and it did! These "episodes" have happened four times all together, all due to smoking as little as one hit of pot. People might think its stupid I tried it 3 times after the first episode, but after reading and researching no one seems to think that smoking pot links to psychosis/schizophrenia. But now its the only thing that triggers my psychosis.
For me this problem is both embarrassing and scary. My boyfriend and most my family and close friends smoke pot regularly. I'm always "passing" for fear of going psycho. I've had many pleasurable experiences smoking, but am now terrified at the chances I might flip out in front of someone.
No one I know, knows about this problem, and its really hard to talk about without thinking they will laugh at me or thinking I'm some sort of freak of nature.
I'm going to a psychologist who is wanting to put me on antipsycotic meds, but what I haven't told her (because its embarrassing) is that what causes these episodes are smoking pot.
My main question is: Do I have a pre-existing schizophrenic mind that only comes out after the use of marijuana and could quite possibly surface at other times? Or is my mind okay and its only the effect of marijuana? (I'm only asking this because NO ONE has anything bad to say about smoking pot, all I hear is how safe and beneficial it is suppose to be to my health)
And...are my episodes what smoking pot is suppose to feel like? Can I just not handle how pot is suppose to make you feel? Everyone says they feel "relaxed and its a good way to clear their mind." To me its a panic attack and exploding feeling of my mind/visit to some sort of paranormal hell.
So am I crazy...???? Please let me know.
Posted by: Natalie at September 22, 2007 02:07 AM
Hi,
You're (not) insane Natalie.
I've been enjoying smoking pot for half a year now and it has been mostly really relaxing and pleasant experience. We had only smoked same weed everytime until last time we tried something new.
We weren't so sure about the effectiveness of the new weed we got, only had read that its powerful. I didn't know whats "powerful" at that moment but now I surely do.
First it was really cool and exciting to experience these new feelings but when we kept smoking more it went totally insane. At one point I just awoke on a thought that we actually communicated telepathically. I felt that I knew everything my friend was telling me before he even told anything. I felt that we didn't even have to speak because we read others minds. I felt that I knew my friends every next move and all in all I actually felt that we we're the same or connected in one mind.
At the moment I realized this I got panicked. It just felt as real as when being sober. I felt that we had taken it too far and we shouldn't been experience these things - we shouldn't play with our mental.
We made some tests to try to prove our(or my) telepathic skills but we couldn't prove it though i think we should've had more tests. That left me very confused - were everything just hallucination or does weed really trigger some telepathic abilities?
I remember many times when we smoked and got these enormeous laughing sessions that put me thinking how our laugh everytime feels like its synchronized, like we would laugh to same things or something. Also when another of us felt something special he could tell about it and soon both of us felt the same.
I've only heard telepathic experiences happen when using really powerful substances like LSD or Salvia though I don't know if anyone ever proved these experiences to be real or hallucinations.
Both ways I think weed is a really powerful drug and got huuuge potential to make you paranoidic/schizophrenic (like I am now since I dont know if it was real or not).
My conclusion:
IF weed triggers telepathic abilities = really powerful drug
IF weed makes you 100% sure to have unreal telepathic abilities while tripping = really powerful drug
I totally believe in those studies that pot is dangerous for your mental health and state.
I know if I don't stop using it now I will go insane.
Andy
Posted by: Andy at October 24, 2007 01:53 AM
Thanks for putting up this valuable information. I began experiencing symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia around age 20. I believed that an angel had contacted me and was preparing me on a path to meet God. This angel spoke to me in my thoughts. I had auditory and visual hallucinations and believed I had telepathic powers. People on radio and television seemed to be speaking directly to me.
It is now 30 years later and through a process mainly of trial and error, I have managed to correct most of the delusional thinking. I still have symptoms, but in most cases I can recognize and ignore them.
I can say from experience that drug use, especially of marijuana and LSD, increased the symptoms many-fold. I used to love getting high, but now I dread it and only smoke very, very occasionally. I wouldn't even consider dropping acid because the paranoid delusions are so unpleasant.
If you have never experienced schizophrenia, understand that it is not like getting high, watching MTV and munching out on corn chips. It is a real break from reality, and it doesn't end after two hours.
Posted by: Steve at December 12, 2007 02:37 PM
Wow, you know I have been wondering this myself. I've smoked since I was 18(I'm 27 now) off and on. I think I'm a light smoker due to that it takes a month or more to smoke a quarter oz. Never did it more than 2 months straight and usually took about a 6 - 8 month break before smoking again. Well, all about 2 yrs ago I've been living by myself and started to smoke more often. I smoked for about 4 months straight, still requiring a month to smoke a quarter oz. But, I got a deal buying some from a friend and got 2 oz from the same batch. The first ounce was just like the rest of my experiences, usual high feeling. Had the other oz in the freezer. Got home one day from work and took it out of the freezer and smoked like usual. Everything was fine at first, but out of nowhere I was thinking very bad thoughts. Like someone was spying on me, plotting to hurt me. I thought it was real enough I called the cops to my place. Thank god they didn't take me in for having pot at my place, they just told me to hide it (lol). But, ever since then, If I smoke I have these types of experiences now. Thought that maybe it was laced but it was the same batch and any weed seems to trigger this effect.
Posted by: Tech at January 2, 2008 07:08 PM
i think that pot is addictive and too much trouble becuase its illegal, expensive and bad for your health. i wish i knew this when i started years ago...
Posted by: pinelopiad at February 24, 2008 06:02 PM