The Downside of High: Notes
-Marijuana can contribute to mental illness; teenagers most at risk
-THC most active ingredient
-Can send some in paranoia or psychosis (a symptom of schizophrenia)
-Can change personality; drastic changes when comparing before and after
-Study found direct connection between marijuana and schizophrenia
-More marijuana, more chances and risk
-A heavy smoker of marijuana is 6 times more likely to be diagnosed with psychosis
-Cannabis nearly doubles future psychotic states, smoking before age 16 can quadruple in chances of developing
-Cannabis use doubled in Canada and US in 1990’s
-Personal stories:
-Tyler: Began hearing voices (ex. communicating through TV)
-Melanie: Got so high and began having visions, diagnosed with bi-polar disorder (large mood swings and psychosis)
-Ben: Got and believed illusions, diagnosed with schizophrenia
-All illnesses triggered by marijuana use
-THC triggers dopamine in the brain, controlling mood and awareness
-THC levels today are now 18-23%
-Average THC content in marijuana has increased more than 130% in the last 10 years
-Marijuana cannot trigger schizophrenia on its own (different people react differently). For example, family history of psychotic disorders, personalities, and childhood traumas are all important factors.
-Schizophrenia rates higher in urban areas
-Damaging effects when the THC interact with the cannabinoid system (family of brain chemicals and receptors that are important for how we process the world around us)
-Body’s cannabinoid attached to the brain
-When cannabis is taken, system is overwhelmed
-Dopamine levels increase
-The longer you keep taking, the more it leaves the teenage brain vulnerable
-Produces long-lasting psychological effects
-You sometimes don’t realize side effects until you stop taking the drug
-The likeliness of schizophrenia for you depends of the genetic types of individuals
-Users know that the more marijuana one takes, the more likely they are to have reaction
-Dependency then develops
-There is initially relief, later on develops to paranoia
-Marijuana in 60’s was a soft drug and it used to contain more cannabidiol (a substance that relieves symptoms of schizophrenia) and less THC
-Marijuana is now made the other way around