Pubdate: Tue, 02 Mar 2010
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2010 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Note: from Agence France-Presse
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

ANOTHER STUDY SLAMS POT

Young adults who started using cannabis at an early age and used it
for several years are at increased risk of being diagnosed with a form
of psychosis, of hallucinating or having delusions, a study published
Monday found.

The study conducted at the Queensland Brain Institute at the
University of Queensland in Australia asked more than 3,800 young
adults, aged around 20 years, about their cannabis use, and assessed
them for psychoses, delusional behaviour and to see if they had
hallucinations.

Just over 14 per cent reported using cannabis for six or more years.
The study found that they were twice as likely as those who had never
used cannabis to be diagnosed with nonaffective psychoses, such as
schizophrenia.

These longtime users were also twice as likely to report having
hallucinations, and four times as likely to show delusional behaviour
as nonusers, the study shows. 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D