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NORMEL E-Zine
Volume 7
Issue 34
September 4, 2004

The NORMEL E-Zine is a free weekly compilation of major news items
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Cannabis link to mental illness strengthened

23:01 21 November 02

NewScientist.com news service

The link between regular cannabis use and later depression and schizophrenia
has been significantly strengthened by three new studies.
The studies provide "little support" for an alternative explanation - that
people with mental illnesses self-medicate with marijuana - according to
Joseph Rey and Christopher Tennant of the University of Sydney, who have
written an editorial on the papers in the British Medical Journal.

One of the key conclusions of the research is that people who start smoking
cannabis as adolescents are at the greatest risk of later developing mental
health problems. Another team calculates that eliminating cannabis use in
the UK population could reduce cases of schizophrenia by 13 per cent.

Until now, say Rey and Tennant, there was "a dearth of reliable evidence" to
support the idea that cannabis use could cause schizophrenia or depression.
That lack of good evidence "has handicapped the development of rational
public health policies," according to one of the research groups, led by
George Patton at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne,
Australia.
The works also highlights potential risks associated with using cannabis as
a medicine to ease the symptoms of muscular sclerosis, for example.

Pharmacological effect

Patton's team followed over 1600 Australian school pupils aged 14 to 15 for
seven years. Daily cannabis use was associated with a five-fold increased
risk of depression at the age of 20. Weekly use was linked to a two-fold
increase. The regular users were no more likely to have suffered from
depression or anxiety at the start of the study.

The reason for the link is unclear. Social consequences of frequent cannabis
use include educational failure and unemployment, which could increase the
risk of depression. "However, because the risk seems confined largely to
daily users, the question about a direct pharmacological effect remains,"
says Patton.

In separate research, a team led by Stanley Zammit at the University of
Cardiff, UK, evaluated data on over 50,000 men who had been Swedish military
conscripts in 1969 and1970. This group represents 97 per cent of men aged 18
to 20 in the population at that time.
The new analysis revealed a dose-dependant relationship between the
frequency of cannabis use and schizophrenia. This held true in men with no
psychotic symptoms before they started using cannabis, suggesting they were
not self-medicating.

Genetic factors

Finally, researchers led by Terrie Moffitt at King's College London, UK,
analysed comprehensive data on over 1000 people born in Dunedin, New Zealand
in 1972 and 1973.

They found that people who used cannabis by age 15 were four times as likely
to have a diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder (a milder version of
schizophrenia) at age 26 than non-users.


But when the number of psychotic symptoms at age 11 was controlled for, this
increased risk dropped to become non-significant. This suggests that people
already at greater risk of later developing mental health problems are also
more likely to smoke cannabis.
The total number of high quality studies on cannabis use and mental health
disorders remains small, stress Rey and Tennant. And it is still not clear
whether cannabis can cause these conditions in people not predisposed by
genetic factors, for example, to develop them.
"The overall weight of evidence is that occasional use of cannabis has few
harmful effects overall," Zammit's team writes. "Nevertheless, our results
indicate a potentially serious risk to the mental health of people who use
cannabis. Such risks need to be considered in the current move to liberalise
and possibly legalise the use of cannabis in the UK and other countries."
Journal references: British Medical Journal (vol 325, p1195, p1199, p1212,
p1183)

Chronic marijuana users are said to develop an "amotivational syndrome"
characterized by passivity, decreased motivation and preoccupation with drug
taking. The relationship of this syndrome to marijuana use, however, has no
been established. Like alcohol intoxication, marijuana intoxication impairs
reading comprehension, memory, speech, problem-solving ability and reaction
time. The effects of long-term use are unknown. Consistent evidence that
marijuana induces or causes brain damage does not exist. Medical researchers
are studying the effectiveness of the drug in relieving some of the symptoms
of glaucoma and in treating the nausea induced by cancer chemotherapy and
radiation treatments.

Are there any other adverse reactions to marijuana?
A common bad reaction to marijuana is the "acute panic anxiety reaction."
People describe this reaction as an extreme fear of "losing control," which
causes panic. The symptoms usually disappear in a few hours.

What about psychological dependence on marijuana?
Long-term regular users of marijuana may become psychologically dependent.
They may have a hard time limiting their use, they may need more of the drug
to get the same effect, and they may develop problems with their jobs and
personal relationships. The drug can become the most important aspect of
their lives.

What are the dangers for young people?
One major concern about marijuana is its possible effects on young people as
they grow up. Research shows that the earlier people start using drugs, the
more likely they are to go on to experiment with other drugs. In addition,
when young people start using marijuana regularly, they often lose interest
and are not motivated to do their schoolwork. The effects of marijuana can
interfere with learning by impairing thinking, reading comprehension, and
verbal and mathematical skills. Research shows that students do not remember
what they have learned when they are "high".

How does marijuana affect driving ability?
Driving experiments show that marijuana affects a wide range of skills
needed for safe driving -- thinking and reflexes are slowed, making it hard
for drivers to respond to sudden, unexpected events. Also, a driver's
ability to "track" (stay in lane) through curves, to brake quickly, and to
maintain speed and the proper distance between cars is affected. Research
shows that these skills are impaired for at least 4-6 hours after smoking a
single marijuana cigarette, long after the "high" is gone. If a person
drinks alcohol, along with using marijuana, the risk of an accident greatly
increases. Marijuana presents a definite danger on the road.

Does marijuana affect the human reproductive system?
Some research studies suggest that the use of marijuana during pregnancy may
result in premature babies and in low birth weights. Studies of men and
women may have a temporary loss of fertility. These findings suggest that
marijuana may be especially harmful during adolescence, a period of rapid
physical and sexual development.

How does marijuana affect the heart?
Marijuana use increases the heart rate as much as 50 percent, depending on
the amount of THC. It can cause chest pain in people who have a poor blood
supply to the heart - and it produces these effects more rapidly than
tobacco smoke does.

How does marijuana affect the lungs?
Scientists believe that marijuana can be especially harmful to the lungs
because users often inhale the unfiltered smoke deeply and hold it in their
lungs as long as possible. Therefore, the smoke is in contact with lung
tissues for long periods of time, which irritates the lungs and damages the
way they work. Marijuana smoke contains some of the same ingredients in
tobacco smoke that can cause emphysema and cancer. In addition, many
marijuana users also smoke cigarettes; the combined effects of smoking these
two substances creates an increased health risk.

Can marijuana cause cancer?
Marijuana smoke has been found to contain more cancer-causing agents than is
found in tobacco smoke. Examination of human lung tissue that had been
exposed to marijuana smoke over a long period of time in a laboratory showed
cellular changes called metaplasia that are considered precancerous. In
laboratory test, the tars from marijuana smoke have produced tumors when
applied to animal skin. These studies suggest that it is likely that
marijuana may cause cancer if used for a number of years.

How are people usually introduced to marijuana?
Many young people are introduced to marijuana by their peers - usually
acquaintances, friends, sisters, and brothers. People often try drugs such
as marijuana because they feel pressured by peers to be part of the group.
Children must be taught how to say no to peer pressure to try drugs. Parents
can get involved by becoming informed about marijuana and by talking to
their children about drug use.

What is marijuana "burnout"?
"Burnout" is a term first used by marijuana smokers themselves to describe
the effect of prolonged use. Young people who smoke marijuana heavily over
long periods of time can become dull, slow moving, and inattentive. These
"burned-out" users are sometimes so unaware of their surroundings that they
do not respond when friends speak to them, and they do not realize they have
a problem.

How long do chemicals from marijuana stay in the body after the drug is
smoked?
When marijuana is smoked, THC, its active ingredient, is absorbed by most
tissues and organs in the body; however, it is primarily found in fat
tissues. The body, in its attempt to rid itself of the foreign chemical,
chemically transforms the THC into metabolites. Urine tests can detect THC
metabolites for up to a week after people have smoked marijuana. Tests
involving radioactively labeled THC have traced these metabolites in animals
for up to a month.

Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1984.