Pot Products Are Now So Potent They Can Trigger Psychosis
LONDON (Reuters) Kate Kelland. According to Murray and Amir Englund, who together published a paper in the Lancet Psychiatry journal entitled “Can cannabis be made safer?”, the potency of cannabis has on average doubled worldwide in the past 40 years. There is also evidence of a greater number of people in Europe and the United States seeking help for cannabis use disorders such as dependence or addiction. The main active compounds cannabis are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Skunk and other more potent forms of the drug are rich in THC, but have low or barely traceable levels of CBD. Scientific evidence suggests that CBD partially neutralizes the potent effect of THC, including reducing paranoia or memory loss? and experts say this is why skunk and other high potency cannabis products are linked to a higher psychosis.
DENVER NEWS: Potent Pot Raises Concern for Parents
Potent pot raises concerns for parents
DENVER – There’s a new marijuana trend and it poses new dangers for kids. Wax, shatter, dabbing are very potent forms of marijuana. They are legal, unless you are younger than 21 years old. But police, schools and parents are finding that kids are getting their hands on the products.
NEWSWEEK Breaks the News: High Potency Cannabis Can Lead to Psychosis
“Compared with non-cannabis users, the daily use of high-potency, skunk-like cannabis is associated with a five-fold increase in the odds of someone developing psychosis. Compared with someone who has not suffered trauma, those who have suffered five different types of trauma (including sexual and physical abuse) see their odds of developing psychosis increase more than 50-fold.”
The concept of schizophrenia is coming to an end-here’s why
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. The concept of schizophrenia is dying. Harried for decades by psychology, it now appears to have been fatally wounded by psychiatry, the very profession that once sustained it. Its passing will not be mourned.
Marijuana legalization opponent Heidi Heilman says today’s marijuana is 300 percent to 800 percent stronger than in the past
By C. Eugene Emery Jr. on March 30th, 2014 Our ruling Heidi Heilman said, “Today’s marijuana is 300 percent to 800 percent more potent than the pot of yesteryear.” Long-term testing shows that, on average, today’s marijuana is three times more potent than pre-1993 marijuana and eight times more potent than grass seized in 1976 and earlier. We rate her claim as True.
PolitiFact – Marijuana legalization opponent Heidi Heilman says today’s marijuana is 300 percent to 800 percent stronger than in the past
Editors note: This item was revised on April 1, 2014 to reflect the fact that increases of 300 and 800 percent represent four- and nine-fold increases respectively. The ruling remains the same. In the debate over whether marijuana should be legalized, one issue is the question of potency.
“A new study by the Institute of Psychiatry suggests that 24% of new cases of psychosis are resulting from use of high potency ‘skunk-like’ cannabis.”
In response, Mark Winstanley, CEO of Rethink Mental Illness said:
“People often think of cannabis as a safe or harmless drug, but this study clearly shows that smoking ‘skunk’ greatly increases your chances of developing serious mental health problems. “Reclassifying cannabis isn’t the answer. What we really need to see is more education about the risks of using the drug, especially for younger people, who are particularly vulnerable. Essentially, smoking cannabis is like playing a very real game of Russian roulette with your mental health.”
