New Report on Marijuana
The Department of Health in the United Kingdom recently funded a systematic review of many studies related to marijuana use.
It is now suggested there is sufficient new evidence that the use of cannabis (marijuana) increases the risk for later psychotic illness by roughly 40%.
There was also a trend towards an increased risk for depression in people who had used cannabis, but the evidence was not as strong.
The article was recently published in the July 28 issue of The Lancet.
The study revealed that individuals who used cannabis on a weekly or daily basis had about a 2- to 3-fold increase in risk for psychotic outcomes and these were independent of other confounding factors.
The authors feel strongly that the evidence warrants advising everyone, particularly young people, that the use of cannabis does potentially have some health risks and especially if they are using it on a regular basis.
The results showed a consistent increased risk for psychotic outcomes in the people who had ever used cannabis compared to those who never used it and a greater risk in individuals who had used it most frequently.
The overall message is that people who use cannabis on a regular basis need to be aware of this risk, so they can make an informed judgment about whether they want to continue using it, or perhaps try to cut down their use or seek treatment of dependency.
A separate physician from Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, wrote an editorial and stated that the study is the most comprehensive meta-analysis to date of this possible causal relationship and the adjustment for confounding factors and transient effects and therefore agreed with the authors' conclusion that there is sufficient evidence to warn young people that cannabis use will increase the risk of psychosis later in life.
The bottom line of the study is:
• Use of cannabis is associated with increased risk for psychosis in later life, with an increased risk of 1.41% and a dose-response relationship.
• Risk for depression may be increased with cannabis use, but evidence is not consistent.
It is now suggested there is sufficient new evidence that the use of cannabis (marijuana) increases the risk for later psychotic illness by roughly 40%.
There was also a trend towards an increased risk for depression in people who had used cannabis, but the evidence was not as strong.
The article was recently published in the July 28 issue of The Lancet.
The study revealed that individuals who used cannabis on a weekly or daily basis had about a 2- to 3-fold increase in risk for psychotic outcomes and these were independent of other confounding factors.
The authors feel strongly that the evidence warrants advising everyone, particularly young people, that the use of cannabis does potentially have some health risks and especially if they are using it on a regular basis.
The results showed a consistent increased risk for psychotic outcomes in the people who had ever used cannabis compared to those who never used it and a greater risk in individuals who had used it most frequently.
The overall message is that people who use cannabis on a regular basis need to be aware of this risk, so they can make an informed judgment about whether they want to continue using it, or perhaps try to cut down their use or seek treatment of dependency.
A separate physician from Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, wrote an editorial and stated that the study is the most comprehensive meta-analysis to date of this possible causal relationship and the adjustment for confounding factors and transient effects and therefore agreed with the authors' conclusion that there is sufficient evidence to warn young people that cannabis use will increase the risk of psychosis later in life.
The bottom line of the study is:
• Use of cannabis is associated with increased risk for psychosis in later life, with an increased risk of 1.41% and a dose-response relationship.
• Risk for depression may be increased with cannabis use, but evidence is not consistent.
posted by Anonymous at 5:58 AM
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