Comments on: Cannabis and schizophrenia http://dreadfuldreams.blogsome.com/2007/05/03/cannabis-and-schizophrenia/ ::though.technology.and.terror.today.and.tomorrow. Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:25:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Crazy for Cocoa Puffs http://dreadfuldreams.blogsome.com/2007/05/03/cannabis-and-schizophrenia/#comment-32 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:01:26 +0100 http://dreadfuldreams.blogsome.com/2007/05/03/cannabis-and-schizophrenia/#comment-32 Instead of making assertions founded in speculation and personal preference, why not make some use of this amazingly insightful research. How might we be able to make use of this connection between the sensation of getting high and the experience of living with schizophrenia? Couldn't this be a prime opportunity to safely and reasonably accurately emulate the condition, thus provide a more empathic provision of treatment? I can think of a laundry list of possible ways in which this may be useful, many of which would be quite controversial considering the legal nature of the plant, but revolutionary nonetheless. Cheers! Instead of making assertions founded in speculation and personal preference, why not make some use of this amazingly insightful research. How might we be able to make use of this connection between the sensation of getting high and the experience of living with schizophrenia? Couldn’t this be a prime opportunity to safely and reasonably accurately emulate the condition, thus provide a more empathic provision of treatment? I can think of a laundry list of possible ways in which this may be useful, many of which would be quite controversial considering the legal nature of the plant, but revolutionary nonetheless. Cheers!

]]> by: alexei http://dreadfuldreams.blogsome.com/2007/05/03/cannabis-and-schizophrenia/#comment-27 Mon, 28 May 2007 08:52:28 +0100 http://dreadfuldreams.blogsome.com/2007/05/03/cannabis-and-schizophrenia/#comment-27 Hmm, I didn't say anything about this research being related to a drug control effort, but now that you mention it, maybe it is. Could it be that the researchers had some kind of anti-pot prejudice when setting out the parameters of their experiment, defining what characteristics make you insane, you know, euphoria and such? That's a dreadful thought, since scientists are the smartest people we have. How will we know the truth if they start pushing their hidden agendas cloaked in technical jargon. But then it's you who's paranoid for putting the thought in my head. Also, you're not implying that I use cannabis, are you? Hugs not drugs, no hope in dope, be cool - stay in school, I'm not a chicken, you're a turkey. USA! USA! Hmm, I didn’t say anything about this research being related to a drug control effort, but now that you mention it, maybe it is. Could it be that the researchers had some kind of anti-pot prejudice when setting out the parameters of their experiment, defining what characteristics make you insane, you know, euphoria and such? That’s a dreadful thought, since scientists are the smartest people we have. How will we know the truth if they start pushing their hidden agendas cloaked in technical jargon. But then it’s you who’s paranoid for putting the thought in my head. Also, you’re not implying that I use cannabis, are you? Hugs not drugs, no hope in dope, be cool - stay in school, I’m not a chicken, you’re a turkey. USA! USA!

]]> by: Velvet Elvis http://dreadfuldreams.blogsome.com/2007/05/03/cannabis-and-schizophrenia/#comment-26 Mon, 28 May 2007 04:25:13 +0100 http://dreadfuldreams.blogsome.com/2007/05/03/cannabis-and-schizophrenia/#comment-26 Surely you've encountered people who can't smoke pot because it makes them paranoid? What do you think is going on there? This is research unrelated to any drug control effort. If you think otherwise, maybe you figure out why you're being so parinoid. I smoked every day for years btw. I can't anymore without crawling out of my skin. Surely you’ve encountered people who can’t smoke pot because it makes them paranoid? What do you think is going on there?

This is research unrelated to any drug control effort. If you think otherwise, maybe you figure out why you’re being so parinoid.

I smoked every day for years btw. I can’t anymore without crawling out of my skin.

]]> by: alexei http://dreadfuldreams.blogsome.com/2007/05/03/cannabis-and-schizophrenia/#comment-24 Thu, 03 May 2007 09:09:13 +0100 http://dreadfuldreams.blogsome.com/2007/05/03/cannabis-and-schizophrenia/#comment-24 You don't know much about weed, do you, Anonymous? My argument is that what D'Souza considers symptoms of schizophrenia (i.e. altered perception, increased anxiety, produced euphoria, disrupted immediate and delayed word recall, impaired performance on tests of attention and working memory) are just symptoms of getting high. Should we say that finding more things funny, is also a symptom of schizophrenia? Or how about impaired hand-eye coordination? A lot of symptoms of alcohol use can then be symptoms of schizophrenia, and sleep deprivation, and hunger. I think you understand what I'm saying. Someone with no symptoms but with a history of schizophrenia will probably develop them whether he smokes weed or not, and it's even harder to tell if these symptoms could point to THC just acting on the same brain regions, temporarily. I'm sorry about your friend who killed himself. But, I think it would be hard to honestly separate what caused what, his schizophrenia, his marijuana use, his genius, and his suicide. Just throwing it out there like that, seems like an appeal to pity, a logical fallacy. I mean, what are you saying? That weed made him kill himself? You are familiar with the fact that antidepressants make you kill yourself too, that's why they have a warning label saying so. Also, Felix Guattari's work on schizoanalysis might be of interest. Lastly, no real smoker thinks of marijuana use as a "happy high", only children and non-smokers. Even if you watch movies like Half Baked, you'll see that they address all the negative aspects of weed addiction. It's a straw man that you're arguing with here. All D'Souza said, if you break it down, is that weed makes you paranoid and stupid, which is true, but not crazy. You don’t know much about weed, do you, Anonymous? My argument is that what D’Souza considers symptoms of schizophrenia (i.e. altered perception, increased anxiety, produced euphoria, disrupted immediate and delayed word recall, impaired performance on tests of attention and working memory) are just symptoms of getting high. Should we say that finding more things funny, is also a symptom of schizophrenia? Or how about impaired hand-eye coordination? A lot of symptoms of alcohol use can then be symptoms of schizophrenia, and sleep deprivation, and hunger.

I think you understand what I’m saying. Someone with no symptoms but with a history of schizophrenia will probably develop them whether he smokes weed or not, and it’s even harder to tell if these symptoms could point to THC just acting on the same brain regions, temporarily. I’m sorry about your friend who killed himself. But, I think it would be hard to honestly separate what caused what, his schizophrenia, his marijuana use, his genius, and his suicide. Just throwing it out there like that, seems like an appeal to pity, a logical fallacy. I mean, what are you saying? That weed made him kill himself? You are familiar with the fact that antidepressants make you kill yourself too, that’s why they have a warning label saying so. Also, Felix Guattari’s work on schizoanalysis might be of interest.

Lastly, no real smoker thinks of marijuana use as a “happy high”, only children and non-smokers. Even if you watch movies like Half Baked, you’ll see that they address all the negative aspects of weed addiction. It’s a straw man that you’re arguing with here. All D’Souza said, if you break it down, is that weed makes you paranoid and stupid, which is true, but not crazy.

]]> by: Anonymous http://dreadfuldreams.blogsome.com/2007/05/03/cannabis-and-schizophrenia/#comment-23 Thu, 03 May 2007 01:52:57 +0100 http://dreadfuldreams.blogsome.com/2007/05/03/cannabis-and-schizophrenia/#comment-23 Before commenting on a research article, perhaps reading it might be a good idea. D'Souza's research actually involved diagnosed schizophrenics and the effects cannabis had on their psychosis. A good friend of ours committed suicide due to hallucinations and paranoia. He was a schizophrenic and regular marijuana user, and one of the most brilliant men we have yet to meet. Dr. D'Souza's research is important because cannibus acts as a catalyst for the schizophrenic brain. A person with no symptoms may develop symptoms after cannibus use. This is not to say that cannibus causes schizophrenia, but rather that it encourages symptoms in a schizophrenic brain, which has not YET shown any symptoms. The perception of marijuana as a "happy high" encourages those who are depressed to use it, when in fact, as Dr. D'Souza has shown, it can cause worsening of symptoms of some mental illnesses, long after the duration of the drug use. Before commenting on a research article, perhaps reading it might be a good idea. D’Souza’s research actually involved diagnosed schizophrenics and the effects cannabis had on their psychosis. A good friend of ours committed suicide due to hallucinations and paranoia. He was a schizophrenic and regular marijuana user, and one of the most brilliant men we have yet to meet. Dr. D’Souza’s research is important because cannibus acts as a catalyst for the schizophrenic brain. A person with no symptoms may develop symptoms after cannibus use. This is not to say that cannibus causes schizophrenia, but rather that it encourages symptoms in a schizophrenic brain, which has not YET shown any symptoms. The perception of marijuana as a “happy high” encourages those who are depressed to use it, when in fact, as Dr. D’Souza has shown, it can cause worsening of symptoms of some mental illnesses, long after the duration of the drug use.

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