New research from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) published in Nature's Neuropsychopharmacology has shown physical changes to exist in specific brain areas implicated in schizophrenia following the use of cannabis during adolescence. The research has shown how cannabis use during adolescence can interact with a gene, called the COMT gene, to cause physical changes in the brain.
The COMT gene provides instructions for making enzymes which breakdown a specific chemical messenger called dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps conduct signals from one nerve cell to another, particularly in the brains reward and pleasure centres. Adolescent cannabis use and its interaction with particular forms of the COMT gene have been shown to cause physical changes in the brain as well as increasing the risk of developing schizophrenia.
Dr Áine Behan, Department of Physiology, RCSI and lead author on the study said 'This is the first study to show that the combined effects of the COMT gene with adolescent cannabis use cause physical changes in the brain regions associated with schizophrenia. It demonstrates how genetic, developmental and environmental factors interact to modulate brain function in schizophrenia and supports previous behavioural research which has shown the COMT gene to influence the effects of adolescent cannabis use on schizophrenia-related behaviours.
The three areas of the brain assessed in this study were found to show changes in cell size, density and protein levels.
'Increased knowledge on the effects of cannabis on the brain is critical to understanding youth mental health both in terms of psychological and psychiatric well-being,' Dr Behan continued.
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), via AlphaGalileo.
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Mosaicvic,
More questions:
Countries where cannabis use is not illegal: Are they the most objective countries in the world? E.G. Holland.
Individuals who take cannabis: Are they the most objective in the world? E.G. Your average Pothead.
As someone who has seen the light, can you please inform me or any interested party what you have gleaned that I or whoever who hasn't seen the light as presented by cannabis, hasn't? If you could go further, please explain how this has translated into your real life and made you a more effective human being in this matrix we find ourselves in. The aim should be to show the edge cannabis has given you that you wouldn't have otherwise.
Thank you in advance.
More questions:
Countries where cannabis use is not illegal: Are they the most objective countries in the world? E.G. Holland.
Individuals who take cannabis: Are they the most objective in the world? E.G. Your average Pothead.
As someone who has seen the light, can you please inform me or any interested party what you have gleaned that I or whoever who hasn't seen the light as presented by cannabis, hasn't? If you could go further, please explain how this has translated into your real life and made you a more effective human being in this matrix we find ourselves in. The aim should be to show the edge cannabis has given you that you wouldn't have otherwise.
Thank you in advance.
"So, if 5 billion adults go out and take a couple of hits off a wholesome and pure splif, I have a feeling..."
The dishes wouldn't get done.
The dishes wouldn't get done.
"I'd rather do the dishes than get a mental illness."
That statement sounded a bit er... schizophrenic, Ruth.
I've always thought the "pot issue" was much ado about not that much really. I've never been into smoking pot, although I did for many years live in a neighbourhood where there were a hell of a lot of pot-heads (Brixton, South London). Personal observation says: habitual users have a tendency to be a bit dull-witted, but you'd really need to pig out on a lot of very powerful gear before you were as crazy as Lee Perry.
On the plus side, marijuana has been partly responsible for a lot of texturally interesting music... [Link]
That statement sounded a bit er... schizophrenic, Ruth.
I've always thought the "pot issue" was much ado about not that much really. I've never been into smoking pot, although I did for many years live in a neighbourhood where there were a hell of a lot of pot-heads (Brixton, South London). Personal observation says: habitual users have a tendency to be a bit dull-witted, but you'd really need to pig out on a lot of very powerful gear before you were as crazy as Lee Perry.
On the plus side, marijuana has been partly responsible for a lot of texturally interesting music... [Link]
The paper demonstrates how cannabis use during adolescence affects brain regions associated with schizophrenia, supporting existing theories that cannabis use causes schizophrenia. But what if the cannabis doesn't "cause" schizophrenia. Surely if cannabis "causes" schizophrenia we would see incidences of schizophrenia increase in a population when cannabis use increases but this has not been found. A population study needs no highly complex easily flawed method of separating chicken and egg. It's known that cannabis use is higher amongst the mentally ill and although there are studies claiming cause this can only be attributed to flaws in the design of the studies. This particular study does little but find that cannabis effects the parts of the brain linked with schizophrenia. Areas perhaps linked to paranoia that wouldn't be stimulated were cannabis not illegal and use easy to detect. Additionally even if a cannabis could be directly linked to schizophrenia in a tiny % of the population its otherwise neuroprotective benefits would far outweigh this issue. There is nothing better at preventing and treating Alzheimer's (The Scripps Institute) and it also protects against other neurodegenerative disease and injury. Parkinson's, MS, ALS, stroke/trauma recovery and others. The US government has a patent claiming this [Link]
I avoided marijuana when I was in my teens after watching my brother who was 5 years older getting hooked on this plant. He was mean and was always getting in trouble, associating with loathsome people. However, when I finally tried cannabis for the first time at 24 I had a bad experience, finding myself lost, confused, and scared. It may have been the seven bong hits. I kept saying I felt nothing and was offered more so I foolishly did another.
It would not be for another three years that I would try it again, this time in a cookie. Two cookies that is. Once again I freaked out, losing my way, getting scared, blanking out and coming to standing in a different place without knowing how I got there.
I could not figure out what people liked about this stuff. I tried again years later in smaller doses and then I understood as all truth engulfed my mind. It was if I found God, a light that pointed the way. My eyes blazing with fire. I was hooked. I suddenly realized that cannabis removes the cobwebs that surround truth but one has to be careful not to become blinded by the light. Then, I went to film school in San Francisco and found myself in heaven as I existed amongst those who knew of this light. I understood the Rasta Man in the Caribbean where I first tried cannabis. Then I understood that cannabis was the true prophet and the quote from Jesus: "Forgive them father for they know not what they do."
All I can say is that teens become blinded by the light as they consume too much and no telling what distributors are packing their product in that may cause much harm in excess. Then mixing alcohol or other drugs such as prescriptions will induce much delirium.
To think of all the fools who clutch their bible not understanding what Christ was all about. The truth stares them in the face but made illegal by the evils of man. We must overcome this ignorance. Cannabis is the true prophet. All others, such as this synthetic crap called spice sold over the counter are the false prophets. I have a feeling Opium is a true prophet as well and like cannabis, too much light will cause blindness and foolishness.
When I walked on water and watched vines turn to snakes after consuming mushroom tea I concluded that much of these holy books are nothing but words and visions stemming from consuming Nature's gifts.
Fools! What have we become because of mistranslation?
So, if 5 billion adults go out and take a couple of hits off a wholesome and pure splif, I have a feeling the world would suddenly find itself back in paradise. We would stop and ask ourselves what the hell have we become. We would suddenly see the power of the devil and realize religion is his terror machine.
So, cannabis in high consumption every day at early ages of development would most definitely cause mental disturbances especially in a world of consumption and deceit. Perhaps we should fire up a fatty on the seventh day and rest.