http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=01072002-113615-3662r OKAYAMA, Japan, July 1 (UPI) -- Genetic anomalies tied with mar1juana-activated brain chemicals appear linked to schizophrenia, Japanese researchers report. "This result provides genetic evidence that mar1juana use can result in schizophrenia or a significantly increased risk of schizophrenia," lead researcher Hiroshi Ujike, a clinical psychiatrist at Okayama University, told United Press International. Schizophrenia is one of the greatest mental health challenges in the world, affecting roughly one of every 100 people and filling about a quarter of all hospital beds in the United States. For years, clinical scientists have known that abusing mar1juana, also known as cannabis, can trigger hallucinations and delusions similar to symptoms often found in schizophrenia. Prior studies also show that cannabis used before age 18 raises the risk of schizophrenia six-fold. The hallucinogenic properties of mar1juana, the researchers explained, are linked to a biochemical found abundantly in the brain. The chemical, called cannabinoid receptor protein, studs the surfaces of brain cells and latches onto the active chemical within mar1juana known as THC. "These sites are where mar1juana acts on the brain," Ujike said. Ujike and his team examined the gene for the mar1juana receptor in 121 Japanese patients with schizophrenia and an average age of 44. When they compared this gene in schizophrenics with the same gene in 148 normal men and woman of the same average age, they found distinct abnormalities in DNA sequences called nucleotides among the schizophrenics. Some of their nucleotides in the mar1juana receptor gene appeared significantly more often than normal while others appeared less frequency. "This finding is the first to report a potential abnormality of the cannabinoid system in schizophrenia," said clinical neuroscientist Carol Tamminga at the University of Maryland in College Park. "The importance of a finding here cannot be overstated, in that it would form a tissue target for drug development and allow targeted treatments to emerge for the illness." It appears malfunctions in the brain's mar1juana-linked circuitry may make one vulnerable to schizophrenia, Ujike said. This holds especially true for a condition called hebephrenic schizophrenia, which is marked by deterioration of personality, senseless laughter, disorganized thought and lack of motivation. These symptoms are similar to psychotic behavior sometimes triggered by severe cannabis abuse, which could mean the mar1juana receptors in schizophrenics are far more active than they should be. Ujike stressed there is no evidence yet these genetic abnormalities can affect how the mar1juana receptor actually acts in the brain. "We would also like to replicate our findings with different ethnic populations and more people," he added. The researchers described their findings in the scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry. (Reported by Charles Choi, UPI Science News, in New York)
lol "Rockhead", is your conclusion based on any science? Seriously though, there is no way any responsible person can actually endorse drug use and escapism in a public forum frequented by impressionable young people. mar1juana impairs its user for considerable amounts of time that could be used productively. I have NEVER met a mar1juana smoker that was not an underachiever in life. I am not saying that these people are failures, but they are not living up to their potential. That is a big trade off for just "getting high". Apparently now, there is new evidence that links mar1juana to schizophrenia, and that is a risk that I hope no young person takes.
Nice blanket statement. BTW, how many underachievers have you met that weren't smokers? I know many people that smoke pot, from radiologists to successful businessmen...I guess they didn't live up to their POTential. Do you feel the same way with alcohol? If someone drinks then do they not live up to their potential? How is smoking weed or having a drink, while winding down at night, going to effect my drive to succeed?
don't believe EVERYTHING you read... some folks are interpreting this article as if it's the FINAL word on the subject...
No question that mar1juana is not harmless. However, this article leaves much to be desired. Smell detector on. While technically true, mar1juana causing halluciantions is extremely unusual and is usually in conjuction with EXTREME abuse, as opposed to casual use. In conjunction with the prior quote, this assertion increases the smell dectector sensitivity level. The following two quotes don't mesh: In my opinion, one of the greatest failures of our society related to drugs is our society's refusal to educate children about the risks of drugs without exaggerating the problems. Black and white statements like those of tbagain (no offense), "just say no," and "this is your brain on drugs," tend to backfire when people realize that the question of drug use is more complex than pithy 5th Avenue advertising jingles. The truth would be a better approach.
sigh... The article says that people with mutations in the cannibis receptor gene have a greater chance to develop schizophrenia. Bang...the end. The data doesn't say anything about mar1juana causing schizo. The subjects didn't smoke weed or use it to prove that schizo. is caused from it. OH and the one part that does mention Cannibis causing schizophrenia is only mentioned..." prior studies"...causing a 6 fold increase in underaged use. So keep the kids away from the hippy lettuce.
And you probably haven't met any happily content (successful) hunter/gather Indians, either. They might tell you, I've never met a Wall Street trader who is truly happy and content in life with Mother Nature.
It appears that the potheads have come out in force to defend their vice, lol. I wish you all good health. Also, if I were the administrator of this website, I would delete any posts that endorse illegal drug use since there are high school students that visit this website. That is the responsible thing to do.
Pot might not be harmless? This isn't the first consequence of pot-use researchers have discovered, you know.
How about deleting any posts that would refer to drinking alcohol? Since it's illegal for high school kids to do it, we should just censor every mention of it on here.
GIMME A BREAK! Filling your lungs up with smoke, any kind of smoke ISN'T harmless, its destructive to your body!!! hmmmm....but the effects it has on you sure is relaxing and nice.
Fortunately, you are not. Under normal circumstances, this BBS, though argumentative, is a fairly civil place for discourse. But, tbagain, you are more than pushing that envelope. Your blanket assessments of people for their choice to smoke pot or anything else you deem to be stupid or irresponsible are not only irritating for many, they are based on the assumption that you know more than the rest of us. You've been here, what, a couple months now? You've already managed to, at least in your mind, set yourself apart from posters who've been here years as the authority on not only what is right but what is appropriate. Not to mention, you have the tendency to make assumptions about people that aren't even close to reality because of your reactionary style. You have to realize that, of the thousands that post on this board, there are a few dozen of us who know each other fairly well. Many of us know each other on the board AND off... rockHEAD and I see each other almost every week. rimbaud's mother and my father worked together for years before he and I ever met on this BBS. mr. oily's been to my garage sales. I've had lunch with giddyup and MadMax (separately). BrianKagy and I have eaten pizza and hung out at basketball games (not to mention exchanged lots of cool music stories). TheFreak and I have great email conversations about music. I'm already scheming on how to convince RM95 to move to Houston. Diseased Monkey sold me a bobblehead hung out with MrsJB and I in the rain at a Rockets game. Grizzled and I carried on a several-month-long email conversation about religion and politics. Mango and I share regular emails about the BBS. Dr. of Dunk - well, he's just crazy! ROXRAN still owes me bar-b-que. Heypartner has been to my gigs. Clutch and I are business partners. The point I'm trying to make with that rant (and there are MANY MANY more stories than that) is that many of us know each other and are friends despite our differences across the political and/or religious spectrum. We can go back and forth on issues for days without hurling insults or ripping each others' moral character. In Texas, they call that disagreeing without being disagreeable. I understand that your arguments are, to you, very important, cogent and mabye even right. But, you are dealing with people here of nearly every race, religion, gender, ethnicity, political persuasion, sexual orientation and geographical location. It might help if you took time to acclimate yourself to those differences before you come in and tell us all why we're wrong. It will make your stay here (and ours) more pleasant and certainly much longer.
