Cannabis and Teenagers

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Re: Marijuana and the Brain

Susan (Los Angeles, Ca) on 02/21/2014

On the subject of Marajuana and the Brain, Dr. Daniel Amen's team put out an interview on the subject:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctTFWzrfN4o

and SPECT scan images of drugs like marijuana on the brain: http://www.amenclinics.com/index.php/the-science/spect-gallery/item/alcohol-and-drug-abuse?category_id=129#alchA1

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Re: Marijuana and the Teenage Brain

Kevin (Victoria, Australia) on 11/27/2013

WOW, you guys just brought in a whole lot of controversy as always. It doesn't appear that this is going to change for obvious controlling governmental reasons. For the main part, marijuana, pot whatever you want to call it, is not a drug. 10-33 times stronger, not likely or one would find themselves overdosing quite easily and feel very uncomfortable.

As far as teens smoking it and having the growth of their minds altered, well that is an ongoing study. Some people I have witnessed benefit from smoking weed, some get slower and lethargic and lazy. It all depends on the individual, however, like most nonsensical scientific diatribe, we all seem to get lumped into the ONE category.

People are all different in the way the makeup of their bodies respond to marijuana. I, personally, do not like the initial feeling of getting high, but I feel great shortly afterwards. Some people never know when to stop or moderate with marijuana use, thus abusing something that could be of benefit to them.

Once again, I feel this article has been manipulated by the big pharmaceutical industries and besides why are the pharma companies trying to create a synthetic form of marijuana and market it. Is it because there are more benefits to the use of MJ than not? If they can market a patent on this plant then I guess there are billions of dollars to be had now isn't there.

All this rhetoric about motor skills being slowed down and so forth. I have witnessed people becoming heightened in their awareness, so once again the individual has been wrongly categorized by pseudo science. It all depends on the dose, besides shouldn't we be concerned of the millions of people driving in their vehicles everyday that have just taken their pharma medications and are completely impaired at the wheel of their 4000lb vehicle??!!! Yes, really now, wake up. More people are impaired by prescription drugs than alcohol and marijuana combined. But I guess most people would not comprehend this primarily because most people live in a comatose-brainwashed state of mind since the introduction of chemtrail pollutants and microwave radiation and whatever else the controlling forces of this messed up planet would throw at us.

Also, when you grow marijuana under synthetic light and unnatural soil and with chemical bug sprays, it is not the natural plant anymore and yes, you may call it a drug since the original intent of the plant has been altered. So who is to blame for this then? The ones who want to control MJ!! If it was a free plant, and notice I did not say LEGALIZED!! , all would be well on this planet. Man has not learned to leave things alone, especially the creators laws. Until then, my name is Kevin.

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Re: Marijuana and Schizophrenia

Karen (Santa Barbara, California) on 11/26/2013

I was very glad to receive your latest article on marijuana and the brain. I have a story to share with you. I had a brilliant friend who started with pot in the 1960s. Like many others during that time, he also dropped acid. As he aged, he became extremely delusional and thought various groups were after him. I believe now he had undiagnosed and untreated schizophrenia. He self medicated with marijuana because it was the only thing that made him feel better. However, as one of his closest friends who saw him frequently, I saw that the marijuana made his delusions much worse. The more delusional he became, the more pot he smoked. It was a vicious cycle. He was so miserable. No one in his family or circle of friends could get him the help he needed although we tried and tried. One day he took his own life to end his misery. It was very sad.

One day, a year or two before his death, I tried a small amount of his "medication", pot he said was from Thailand, only the 2nd time in my life to do so. It made me so extremely paranoid for the few hours it was in my system, I almost went to the ER. It makes me shudder to think how many teenagers are smoking it daily thinking it's harmless. Until you've watched a loved one falling apart before your very eyes, you don't really know.

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Marijuana and Mental Health Issues

Elaine (Va) on 11/26/2013

I, too, have family members who felt 'it's only pot' and now have mental health issues. From the pot? I don't know, but the fact is that they have an illness now that non-pot smoking members of a very large family do not have. There may be a genetic component, as this is a large family with many double first cousins (sibling marry siblings, then their children marry, etc). Recipe for genetic upset, I know. As for the pot, I think it wise to not take it at least until the body is fully mature--why risk damage to a developing body with a non-essential item? I'm okay with my elderly mother using it for glaucoma or pain relief; she no longer drives and if it makes her life easier I say okay. That leaves the young-adult to retirement age group. I am not okay with getting wasted, and any impairment at all is not okay to be out driving, etc. The impaired individual rarely thinks he is impaired, and there's no test. Also, younger people help themselves to their parents tobacco and alcohol, so you can't control it in the home. This is a problem. Bottom line, we should take good care of ourselves and this means probably no mind-altering substances.
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Marijuana and The Brain

Gina (Texas) on 11/25/2013

hmmm. my two cents: in my 40 years of marijuana experience I know personally only two people whose marijuana use slowed their brain function when they weren't using. both are male, both started smoking shortly after they reached puberty. one was in the 70s, so he wasn't smoking strong weed. the other has been since 2000, so he was. the first guy wasn't that bright to begin with, the second was. he is still smarter than the average bear, but not near as quick as before. I have heard from other people of men who've been affected that way, but never heard of it happening to a woman.
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Re: Marijuana and the Teenage Brain

Candance (Nebraska) on 11/25/2013

Interesting article, I enjoyed reading it as I have heard many times that the use of cannabis could have an effect on the brain with teenagers but never had anyone explained in detail how it could effect the brain.

My son was diagnosed with Schizoeffective when he was 20 years old. The illness runs in the family as his father had it also. We have learned to control it via a combination of diet, supplements, meds AND cannabis.

Without all three he quickly goes downhill. It has taken us 10 years to get to where we are now. I don't know about the teenage use and the connection with the illness I just know it runs in the family. But I do know without it now he has issues. We have had him tested several times for temporal lobe epilepsy as it can have the same symptoms as schizophrenia and it has been proven cannabis use can help improve it but so far they have not been able to find any signs of it with my son.

Whether it was genetics or cannabis use that caused this illness for my son I don't know but I do know now without it his brain does not function normally.

I would strongly suggest that if anyone has a teenager and if there is any history of mental illness in your family, share this information with your teenager. Mental illness is very devastating and robs you of your future.

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