None of them show causality but, perhaps, two. The other studies might show people with schizophrenia smoke cannabis. They may self medicate for their symptoms just as many schizophrenics smoke to help their symptoms. So the cannabis is an effect not a cause.
The two trials I'm thinking of which look at causality don't quite pass muster but they're the best so far. One trial in the US and one in the UK injected participants with delta-9-thc in laboratory settings.
Both trials found that under these conditions this single constituent of cannabis produced symptoms which, on psychiatric measures, looked like psychosis.
But in the uk trial no one subsequently received a diagnosis of schizophrenia. In the US trial one person did. The person was taking a higher dose than in the uk trial.
But cannabis, like all enthogens, depends on environment and context. I've smoked cannabis oil which would have high levels of thc and perhaps the delta-9 isomer too. We sat in my bedroom and giggled for a bit then watched a screensaver for what seemed like hours. We may have eaten some crisps later.
There were three of us smoking the oil. I'm still in touch with one of them. He's married and has a kid. He earns a six figure salary in the US and was picked for his job from the uk.
I might be a loser but he is clearly not. Neither of us have been diagnosed with schizophrenia but I have been diagnosed with schizoaffective, amongst other diagnoses.
Schizophrenia is associated with - not caused - by many things. Cannabis is associated with many things too, like fun. In my mind cannabis is associated with fun and feeling better. I think there are many people with lived experience of cannabis who would agree with me and many without lived experience who would disagree.
Funny that.
No comments:
Post a Comment