HappySqurriel said:
studies that demonstrate its influence on the development of paranoid schizophrenia would also result in it being pulled from the market and the companies producing it would face mutliple billions of dollars worth in lawsuits. |
http://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2009/09/16/does-marijuana-cause-schizophrenia/
"Nevertheless, the evidence seems to be there, and it is quite frightening to look it over. The initial study was an elegant analysis of Swedish military recruits in 1987.
The increased risk was on the order of 4.5 times for those using by age 15, but down to 1.6 times for those using by age 18. The increased risk was decreasing rapidly. Let’s extrapolate to ages 16 and 17: Age 15: 4.5 X. Age 16: 3.7 X Age 17: 2.65 X. Age 18: 1.6 X. At that rate, all increased risk would have evaporated for users who wait until they are age 19 until they start using.
Since the Swedish study, the evidence has piled up. Still, despite the scary and numbing evidence, there is not yet any evidence that cannabis causes schizophrenia de novo. Instead, it appears to be interacting with some already existing risk factor.
This page is a good repository for the numbing evidence on this score.
However, that site has some serious problems.
They are finding increased risk of schizophrenia from everything from “being too introverted and being alone too much”, emigrating to a new country – up to 4X increased risk, having an unpleasant and unstable home life as a child, experience – social adversity – four or more episodes of “abuse” increased risk by 2.7X, living in a city (3X increased risk), especially an inner city (as opposed to the country), or being vulnerable to depression or anxiety."
So basically don't do it excessively (daily or near-daily use over years is how that's usually defined) when you're younger and it's fine. It's actually possibly beneficial to your brain in numerous ways according to the article and its links.
