May 25, 2017

Scientific study challenges pot myths

Portside - Fear-mongering headlines claiming that marijuana use causes birth defects, heart-attacks, and psychosis are common in the mainstream media. But newly published scientific evidence makes it clear that what is often portrayed as ‘conventional wisdom’ is really nothing more than ‘reefer madness.’

There exists “minimal evidence” to support an association between cannabis use alone and the onset of psychotic symptoms in young people, according to data published online in March in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Investigators from the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychiatry assessed the relationship between drug use and the onset of psychotic symptoms in a cohort of 4,171 young people ages 14 to 21. Authors reported that “neither frequent nor early cannabis use predicted increased odds of psychosis spectrum classification” after researchers adjusted for potential confounders (e.g., concurrent use of other substances, comorbid psychopathology, and trauma exposure).

They concluded, “Overall, we found minimal evidence for associations between cannabis use by itself and psychosis spectrum symptoms.”

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