Today, a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry further links the use of marijuana with the onset of severe mental illness such as psychosis and schizophrenia.
“This study is big as it is just one more in the scientific pile on connecting today’s potent pot with psychosis,’ said Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and a former senior drug policy advisor to the Obama Administration. The evidence is mounting; marijuana legalization is a failed experiment and continuing to expose people to the substance is paving the way for the next public health crisis.”
The study followed over 7,600 individuals for a mean of 84 months. Among these, the cumulative risk for progression to schizophrenia was 11.3%. The risk for onset of mental illness was highest among marijuana users and lowest for alcohol abusers. This is just the latest in a string of data highlighting marijuana’s harmful impact. From previous, recent research we know that the use of high potency can increase the risk of psychosis five-fold.
In addition, a study released just this week found that young people living near a marijuana dispensary are more likely to have used the drug in the past month and hold favorable opinions of the substance.
“At a time when the supporters of Big Marijuana are calling on Congress to legalize the drug, the science continue to point to marijuana being a harm to health and safety,” continued Dr. Sabet. “It is time to put commonsense and public health above the corporate greed of Big Pot.”
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