Britain's news sources, The Independent and the BBC, report that scientists have shown how "THC", the active compound in cannabis (marijuana), can trigger psychosis and schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals.
The computer scans used in the study have revealed that THC significantly reduces activity in the frontal lobe - a part of the brain responsible for coordination and emotional behavior.
There is an increasing sense of urgency in being able to definitively state how cannabis can trigger psychosis and schizophrenia since doctors cannot predict with certainty which people might be vulnerable to this effect, aside from those with a family history of such problems. In the United Kingdom, there is currently a rise in the use of a potentially devastating, exceptionally potent new form of cannabis called "skunk".
More than 22,000 people in Britain needed treatment for cannabis use in 2006. Cannabis use resulting in emergency hospital admissions have doubled in the past five years.
In another study that was being announced this week in London, England it was revealed
"scientists found that marijuana worsens psychotic symptoms of schizophrenics.
Doctors at Yale University in the U.S. tested the impact of THC on 150 healthy volunteers and 13 people with stable schizophrenia. Nearly half of the healthy subjects experienced psychotic symptoms when given the drug.
While the doctors expected to see marijuana improve the conditions of their schizophrenic subjects — since their patients reported that the drug calmed them — they found that the reverse was true."
A new campaigning group, Talking About Cannabis, is being launched in London which will lobby the Government to tackle the crisis.
Read the articles:
Cannabis harms mental health, scientists warn
Pot May Cause Psychotic Symptoms (Time Magazine)
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