A new study supposedly "shows that consuming pot on a daily basis and especially using high-potency cannabis increases the odds of having a psychotic episode later." Past studies have also found "that more frequent use of pot is associated with a higher risk of psychosis — that is, when someone loses touch with reality."
However, it's unclear whether this is causation or just correlation. That NPR article says: "One critique of the theory that weed contributes to psychosis risk has been that while more people are using weed worldwide, there hasn't been a corresponding rise in rates of psychosis." On the other hand, "cities with more easily available high-THC weed do have a higher rate of new diagnoses of psychosis."
I’d like to see drugs legalized, not because I want more people to do drugs, but because I want more people to feel more free to speak out about their struggles with drug addiction, the way people now feel free to talk about their addictions to things that are legal: alcohol, cigarettes, food, etc. These can all be detrimental to your health, but making people fear getting locked up if they’re open about their failings in these areas is not a good plan for making society healthier.
The current illegality of some drugs like marijuana also makes them seem cool and rebellious, and makes anyone who criticizes them seem lame and authoritarian. If drugs were legal, they'd lose some of their allure.
(Photo of woman selling cannabis in Assam, India from Wikimedia Commons.)
0 comments:
Post a Comment