Cannabis haul! This is a Joke, Wake Up Smell the Beans

[sarahj]

If consumed sensibly and respectfully, it need not be unhealthy and damaging. I don't think the same can be said for cannabis.

I don't really know where you could get this idea from? There are many cultures worldwide that use cannabis very sensibly and respectably and it is not unhealthy or damaging. In Jamaica, for example, mild cannabis tea is taken as we might take valeria tea or nutmeg (both of which are psychoactive in the right doses) to aid digestion, relax, etc. It is a normal home remedy that a mother would give and does not create any negative effects for those people. That is respectful safe use.

[zebedee bong]

a good source of reference material to be found here Marijuana - The First Twelve Thousand Years

[JCSkinner]

The alleged link between cannabis and increased predeliction to schizophrenia is unproven.
The theory is that chronic cannabis users (daily, large doses) who begin use in their early teens and continue for months of heavy usage may be increasing the existing adolescent risk of developing schizophrenia by varying factors (six is a commonly cited one.)
In other words, some doctors suspect that if young teens smoke ridiculous amounts of cannabis consistently at a time while their brains are still developing, they might be more likely to develop schizophrenia than those who don't begin smoking at that age, or who smoke inconsistently or much less, or not at all.
So even this theory does not state that cannabis causes schizophrenia in any cases. It suggests that for people who may have a pre-existing possibility of developing the condition, smoking cannabis makes that more likely.
Needless to say, the alcohol comparison is once again illuminating, because there is no doubt whatsoever in the evidence that consistent heavy drinking during teenage years causes massive neurological damage.
Nevertheless, even though the case remains unproven, I for one would not advocate children smoking cannabis at all.
It's not conducive to their performing well at their homework.

[cinik]

The alleged link between cannabis and increased predeliction to schizophrenia is unproven.
The theory is that chronic cannabis users (daily, large doses) who begin use in their early teens and continue for months of heavy usage may be increasing the existing adolescent risk of developing schizophrenia by varying factors (six is a commonly cited one.)
In other words, some doctors suspect that if young teens smoke ridiculous amounts of cannabis consistently at a time while their brains are still developing, they might be more likely to develop schizophrenia than those who don't begin smoking at that age, or who smoke inconsistently or much less, or not at all.
So even this theory does not state that cannabis causes schizophrenia in any cases. It suggests that for people who may have a pre-existing possibility of developing the condition, smoking cannabis makes that more likely.
Needless to say, the alcohol comparison is once again illuminating, because there is no doubt whatsoever in the evidence that consistent heavy drinking during teenage years causes massive neurological damage.
Nevertheless, even though the case remains unproven, I for one would not advocate children smoking cannabis at all.
It's not conducive to their performing well at their homework.

Wtf! Have all you sad bastards sod all to do after dark in Ireland?

[truthisfree]

Me personally? No. I just don't think there's anything especially good or positive to be achieved from doing this. I see cannabis and other drug use as an abuse of the body/mind.

Yes, you could well be right, taking cannabis is not for you if you feel that it is an abuse of your body or mind. It would not be for me if I felt it was an abuse of my mind or body either. I do not feel that it would be an abuse of my body or mind, and that is my responsibility as an adult. All of this is based on feeling and I feel we agree on this.

Our collective responsibility is to look at the scientific evidence for and against this and decide with logic whether specific elements of cannabis usage causes Psychological or physical damage, within reason Femme, playing contact sports left my father cripples for the last twenty years of his life, I have a son who both loves and is good at football, don't think I don't worry about that.

[femmefatale]

Yes, you could well be right, taking cannabis is not for you if you feel that it is an abuse of your body or mind. It would not be for me if I felt it was an abuse of my mind or body either. I do not feel that it would be an abuse of my body or mind, and that is my responsibility as an adult. All of this is based on feeling and I feel we agree on this.

Our collective responsibility is to look at the scientific evidence for and against this and decide with logic whether specific elements of cannabis usage causes Psychological or physical damage, within reason Femme, playing contact sports left my father cripples for the last twenty years of his life, I have a son who both loves and is good at football, don't think I don't worry about that.

I'm sure you do worry about that. I am very sorry to hear about your father. He did, however, set out to do something positive and healthy (for the mind and body). Unfortunately, he got injured. With all due respect, I don't think drug use is comparable.

[JCSkinner]

I thought the link between 'skunk' and psychosis was proven.

According to my friend whose uncle has the worst case of schizophrenia in Ireland, the doctors treating him say the condition was caused by cannabis use.

Well, firstly 'skunk' is just a grower's name for certain sativa strains. The tabloid usage of the term to imply some sort of superpotent substance is a nonsense.
Secondly, if you have evidence linking cannabis to psychotic episodes, let's see it.
Thirdly, your friend's uncle should seek a second opinion. I suspect chinese whispers along the line between the medics to you posting here has garbled beyond recognition whatever the doctors may have actually said (assuming this case actually exists, of course.)
I suspect it may not, at least not as you describe, because no sensible psychiatrist would state that cannabis causes schizophrenia, because the cause is genetic, and secondly because they don't rank psychiatric patients on the basis of who has the worst case in Ireland.

[Disabled student]

I have a friend of mine who still use weeds habitually as the time goes on. I could see his mind changing and affecting him in some degree. However i do support some kind of medical support for people who are/is in pain as it greatly helped them in some way. I know for instance, another friend of mine who has a medical condition as he need cannabis/weeds to control the pain.

So there are different categories in regards to Cannabis- Unregulated and regulated. In Ireland, it's pretty very much unregulated as i could get them in pubs etc.

[femmefatale]

I have a friend of mine who still use weeds habitually as the time goes on. I could see hos mind changing and affecting him in some degree. However i do support some kind of medical support for people who are/is in pain as it greatly helped them in some way. I know for instance, another friend of mine who has a medical condition as he need cannabis/weeds to control the pain.

So there are different categories in regards to Cannabis- Unregulated and regulated. In Ireland, it's pretty very much unregulated as i could get them in pubs etc.

I too would support it being made available to people who require it to manage pain or control other symptoms of illness.

[JCSkinner]

The person in question also posts on here. I'll ask him to confirm what he told me. Although schizophrenia may have a genetic cause, presumably environmental factors can trigger or exacerbate it. It was cannabis use that was held responsible for the grossly severe case of schizophrenia my friend's relative has.

Again, someone is misrepresenting the facts here. If not you, then someone informing you.
The severity of symptoms in schizophrenia is down to the individual and is something very poorly understood.
Many schizophrenics function perfectly well with mild medication. Others suffer greatly despite receiving batteries of care and medication. There is no causal reason to explain the varying degrees of severity of symptoms between patients, least of all any connection to cannabis.
The only possible way in which cannabis could theoretically have impacted at all on your friend's relative would be as a contributory factor in triggering latent schizophrenia which he may well have developed in any case, and which is caused by genetic factors.
Once schizophrenia is diagnosed, nothing that happened prior to that diagnosis is going to exacerbate or improve symptoms.