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Cannabis smokers are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and psychosis than stimulant drug takers, according to Australian statistics suggesting the herb's toll on mental health has been underestimated.
The impact of amphetamines on mental state is well known but a new national report shows dope smokers display higher rates of several psychological symptoms when visiting their doctor.
Of patients who mentioned cannabis use to their GP, 48 per cent had a psychological problem, including 19 per cent with depression and nine per cent with psychosis. Six per cent had anxiety.
Only 31 per cent of stimulant users reported similar problems, with significantly lower rates of all conditions, according to the latest bulletin released by the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre in Sydney.
Director, professor Jan Copeland, said the results confirm the dangers of the drug, especially for the 300,000 Australians who smoke it daily.
"It was unexpected, given what we hear about amphetamine-related psychotic symptoms, but it goes to show what a terrible impact cannabis is having on users," Prof Copeland said.
"The delusions, hallucinations and paranoia can be very distressing and people are feeling it."
The results, in data collected from 1,000 randomly-selected GPs, also revealed that mentioning cannabis use to a doctor was very rare, with the drug named in just 19,000 consultations nationwide each year.
Users were more likely to be male, young, unemployed or on a low income and indigenous.
"The low numbers are a major concern given the sheer number of users and the effects we know that use is having," Prof Copeland said.
She said too many users still believed cannabis had few health consequences or were nervous mentioning a drug habit to a doctor.
But Australian Medical Association chair of general practice Dr Rod Pearce said stressed the importance of consulting a doctor.
"Illegality is a non-issue for us and it absolutely has to be given the increasing body of research linking cannabis smoking with psychiatric illness," Dr Pearce said.
"I'm not being wowserish either. This is a serious problem."
About 1.5 million Australians have used cannabis in the past year, with 750,000 smoking it weekly.
Studies show most people do not experience major problems with occasional use but heavy use can lead to depression, memory loss, lung damage, low sex drive and even brain shrinkage.
For a start this is only including people that went to a GP and mentioned cannabis use. No mention at all if the patients were suffering from these psychological issues before or after they started using cannabis, as usual. It seems that a lot of them were also unemployed or on low incomes, and aboriginal. I wonder how the rest of the 300,000 daily smokers are getting on?
Quote:
The delusions, hallucinations and paranoia can be very distressing and people are feeling it.
LOL
Quote:
Studies show most people do not experience major problems with occasional use but heavy use can lead to depression, memory loss, lung damage, low sex drive and even brain shrinkage.
Yay, we're talking about heavy use again, like the studies on people that were smoking 70 joints each week, and even those studies are never able to show any causal links. I guess they were hoping we would think that a 'daily' user who smokes a little in the evening is a 'heavy' user.
Personally I've had depression and anxiety disorder for over a decade, and I didn't start using cannabis until a couple of years ago. I can't say it's the wonder drug that's made my life absolutely fantastic or anything, but it definitely hasn't made it any worse.
Here is a norml response:
Contrary to the headline, this does NOT show that cannabis smokers are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and psychosis than stimulant drug takers. It shows that the rate of cannabis users reporting problems relating to their use is very low (1.2%), and of those people more of them talk about psychological issues than the stimulant users. But it doesn't mention how many stimulant users talked to their GPs - maybe it was more than for cannabis even though the use rate is lower. About 1.5 million Australians have used cannabis in the past year / named in just 19,000 consultations nationwide each year = 1.2%
...what this shows, is you should never use trademe for anything....seeing the police and IRD have a copy of the whole database, never comment or buy anything, because the data miners are at werk....and as for the Aussie "study" ...shit I'm gunna go get me some meth ...wonder if Mille has any spare
PS. must remember never to tell my GP about my drug use....must remember never to tell my GP about my drug use.must remember never to tell my GP about my drug use.must remember never to tell my GP about my drug use.must remember never to tell my GP about my drug use.... sorry i went a bart simpson there
Must remember to never tell my Gp about my cannabis use...must remember to.........oh...I forgot...short term memory loss, go figure.
Wow! To think Methamphetamine is...well I would presume 'safer', going by the article .......yeah I wonder if Millie does have any spare? I just don't understand the article properly because of my cannabis addled brain....and the A-motivational syndrome....
No...seriously - I hope that some of the more responsible news media(exceedingly unlikely) will qualify this propaganda as being exactly that. The greatest danger with this gutter trash is that a great many people will indeed form the opinion that stimulants such as methamphetamine and methylenedioxymethylamphetamine, for example, are safer than cannabis. It is a real shame that these decrepid, and 'alleged' scientists/doctors are quite happy to destroy lives in the interests of their pay packets and appeasing the USA war on drugs. Next thing you know the fairfaq's will be endorsing the KKK. I too see trademe appeasing. Now who owns them again?
Since such data/statistics can be mined from GP's and used in such a despicable fashion to destroy lives - it is very important to not mention any cannabis use to any GP - for doing so can so easily manifest racism, prejudice and hatred of the cannabis fiend...also know as the hypocritical oathe. This cannabis war, in part faciliated by those GP's who would sell those stats to the highest bidder to perpetuate 'war'...'war' on other wise decent human beings.
Must remember to give up cannabis and start useing meth...must remember to start useing meth.....hey....wait...my memory is improving....gosh...my appetite is suppressed...wow....oh man....my coordination is so much better....oh and the aphrodesia...oh golly gosh..and it lasts so much longer than that nigger weed...my brain is sharper...jagged edges......and....AND...it is safer than the devil weed....less anxiety and depression all into one.....less paranoia and dissassociation....man...it's like so good....so much better than cannabis.
One of these days....yes....one of these days - some day....some time...someone is going to say, 'USA we do not want you drug war on NZr's in NZ'. See what they did to Wall Street and the global investors who lost? So why follow them over the cliff of cannabis prohibition?
Until that day....must remember......must rem....must....m......
Joined: Dec 01, 2003 Posts: 2992 Location: Christchurch, NZ
Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 11:10 pm
Quote:
No...seriously - I hope that some of the more responsible news media(exceedingly unlikely) will qualify this propaganda as being exactly that. The greatest danger with this gutter trash is that a great many people will indeed form the opinion that stimulants such as methamphetamine and methylenedioxymethylamphetamine, for example, are safer than cannabis. It is a real shame that these decrepid, and 'alleged' scientists/doctors are quite happy to destroy lives in the interests of their pay packets and appeasing the USA war on drugs. Next thing you know the fairfaq's will be endorsing the KKK. I too see trademe appeasing. Now who owns them again?
Joined: Apr 03, 2006 Posts: 91 Location: Central Auxx
Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 11:35 pm
Must remember to give up cannabis and start useing ... Must remember to a useing meth.....hey....wait...my memory is improving....gosh...my appetite is suppressed...wow....oh man....my coordination is so much better....oh and the aphrodesia...oh golly gosh..and it lasts so much longer than that nigger weed...my brain is sharper...jagged edges......and....AND...it is safer than the devil weed....less anxiety and depression all into one.....less paranoia and dissassociation....man...it's like so good....so much better than cannabis... And then...
.... I feel awesome... I can do anything... I'm gonna get some more Meth and not pay my bills... No one can stop me... Il steal something so i can get some more...I'm feeling invincible.... Arrrgggghhhh... Freak out.... Turn into mr stabby!!!!
Um yea.... Meth causes less brain damage than cannibus..not. Geez, the
media these days!!! _________________ “Herb is the healing of a nation. Alcohol is the destruction.” - Bob Marley
The pharmaceutical companies don't make money from the precursors that create cannabis . The international market for the legal medications meth is built from is on the increase , why would the media politicians and experts who are the best money can buy shit in their own nests . Its not whats best for the people but what is best for those on the gravy train..Same mentality that drove the US Toxic loan markets .
"You have a mental illness, it must be the cannabis you smoke"
"No, I smoke cannabis to alleviate the symptoms of my mental illness, and physical pains from previous illness."
"That's impossible. It must have caused your sad sorry state. You're sick, a junkie, worse than a speed freak. The weed will have you locked up in a ward within months if you don't stop this behaviour"
"Ah.... Read my files and match my pot use up with my episodes. You will clearly see that when I am abstinent for long periods of time I start having severe issues again. When I am dosing healthily I stay relatively okay, with only a few minor ups and downs. I do not steal to pay for my habit, my family haven't shunned me for using it, I am obviously building my life back up, not getting worse....."
".....I'm not prescribing you anything with potential for abuse anymore. And when I do prescribe you something, you will have to get several repeats, as we clearly cannot trust you with a larger amount of anything. And take this zopiclone, it'll help you sleep."
They won't look at anything except one connection in a huge bunch of freaking connections. I hate this bullshit that we call research, statistics, etc. I can't even think nowadays what in that realm is any more than one sided crap. Not worth looking at, most of the data to actually examine the questions in point isn't taken into consideration. Not to mention the slick wording, lack of particular statistics, and the tones of reassurance at the end. Illegality is a non issue for us, Dr Pearce says, but as broke as I am, i'd put money on it being a happy and paid off lie.
Joined: Aug 20, 2006 Posts: 943 Location: h=6.626x10‾34 Mood: sisyphustic
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 1:01 pm
Apart from the usual BS, that article got a fund -a- mental thing wrong.
It's not...
National Cannabis Prevention Information Centre.
It's...
National Cannabis Propaganda Invention Centre. _________________ IF 25 YEARS OF SMOKING DOPE HAS ADDLED MY BRAIN, I MUST HAVE BEEN AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT IN MY YOUTH ~Tim Shadbolt
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...what this shows, is you should never use trademe for anything....seeing the police and IRD have a copy of the whole database, never comment or buy anything, because the data miners are at werk....and as for the Aussie "study" 
...wonder if Mille has any spare 
sorry i went a bart simpson there 
Calm yaself piha. Gawd, there are some hideous people on those trademe forums too, as well as the police.
