Post by Adam on Dec 13, 2006 13:38:27 GMT -5
Funny, but I can only find this being reported out of Australia...
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20921062-29277,00.html
Cannabis link to mental illness
By David Crawshaw
December 13, 2006
THE use of cannabis, particularly among young people, substantially increases the risk of mental illness and worsens existing mental health conditions, a major report has found.
The report, released today by former Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Palmer, analysed the growing body of evidence of the long-suspected link between marijuana use and mental disorders.
Where There's Smoke: Cannabis and Mental Health, by the Mental Health Council of Australia, said the drug's dangers were underestimated and called for an education campaign.
The research found cannabis use could trigger psychosis in some people and could induce schizophrenia in those with family histories of mental illness.
There was a link between early and regular cannabis use and later depression, but little evidence to suggest people turned to cannabis because of existing mental health conditions.
The council's chief executive, John Mendoza, said there was now proof smoking cannabis had serious mental health risks.
"You increase that risk further if you have a family history of mental illness," Mr Mendoza said.
"You increase the risk again a notch further if you begin using at a young age, when brain development is at crucial stages.
"And you increase the risk a further step if your use is regular and prolonged, and if you use the substance in a way that increases its potency through the use of bongs."
Mr Palmer said the report was a wake-up call for the way authorities dealt with cannabis use, recalling his time spent as a detective rounding up offenders in drug busts.
"I'm not sure how effective the deterrence was in those incidents, and I'm not sure how many habits we changed as a result of those interventions by police," he said.
"I suspect the answer to both those questions is, in the first case, not very, and in the second case, not many."
He backed the need for an education campaign similar to those for tobacco and binge-drinking.
"We've got to find more effective ways of ... getting rid of the perception that cannabis is harmless and that there's no danger associated with its use," Mr Palmer said.
"There are clear dangers associated with cannabis use that I don't think are recognised by the people most likely to be using it."
The report found almost 700,000 Australians - 3 per cent of the population - would become dependent on the drug at some stage.
While cannabis use had decreased in recent years, people were trying the drug younger, with the average age at first use now 14.9 years.
Mr Palmer cautioned against decriminalising the drug, saying jurisdictions that had moved in that direction may not have done so had they known the results of current research.
Former Victorian health minister Rob Knowles, who chairs the Mental Health Council, said the challenge was to make marijuana unfashionable.
"Just as we made tobacco use unfashionable, we would be keen to make cannabis use unfashionable, and to do that primarily through education programs," Mr Knowles said.
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20921062-29277,00.html
Cannabis link to mental illness
By David Crawshaw
December 13, 2006
THE use of cannabis, particularly among young people, substantially increases the risk of mental illness and worsens existing mental health conditions, a major report has found.
The report, released today by former Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Palmer, analysed the growing body of evidence of the long-suspected link between marijuana use and mental disorders.
Where There's Smoke: Cannabis and Mental Health, by the Mental Health Council of Australia, said the drug's dangers were underestimated and called for an education campaign.
The research found cannabis use could trigger psychosis in some people and could induce schizophrenia in those with family histories of mental illness.
There was a link between early and regular cannabis use and later depression, but little evidence to suggest people turned to cannabis because of existing mental health conditions.
The council's chief executive, John Mendoza, said there was now proof smoking cannabis had serious mental health risks.
"You increase that risk further if you have a family history of mental illness," Mr Mendoza said.
"You increase the risk again a notch further if you begin using at a young age, when brain development is at crucial stages.
"And you increase the risk a further step if your use is regular and prolonged, and if you use the substance in a way that increases its potency through the use of bongs."
Mr Palmer said the report was a wake-up call for the way authorities dealt with cannabis use, recalling his time spent as a detective rounding up offenders in drug busts.
"I'm not sure how effective the deterrence was in those incidents, and I'm not sure how many habits we changed as a result of those interventions by police," he said.
"I suspect the answer to both those questions is, in the first case, not very, and in the second case, not many."
He backed the need for an education campaign similar to those for tobacco and binge-drinking.
"We've got to find more effective ways of ... getting rid of the perception that cannabis is harmless and that there's no danger associated with its use," Mr Palmer said.
"There are clear dangers associated with cannabis use that I don't think are recognised by the people most likely to be using it."
The report found almost 700,000 Australians - 3 per cent of the population - would become dependent on the drug at some stage.
While cannabis use had decreased in recent years, people were trying the drug younger, with the average age at first use now 14.9 years.
Mr Palmer cautioned against decriminalising the drug, saying jurisdictions that had moved in that direction may not have done so had they known the results of current research.
Former Victorian health minister Rob Knowles, who chairs the Mental Health Council, said the challenge was to make marijuana unfashionable.
"Just as we made tobacco use unfashionable, we would be keen to make cannabis use unfashionable, and to do that primarily through education programs," Mr Knowles said.