Ultra-potent skunk cannabis is seven times more likely to trigger psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia than traditional hash, a study has warned. The research, by the highly-respected Institute of Psychiatry in London, will deepen concerns over the safety of cannabis amid political controversy over its criminal status. Dr Marta Di Forti, who led the research, said: 'Our study is the first to demonstrate the risk of psychosis is much greater among frequent cannabis users, especially among those using skunk, rather than among occasional users of traditional hash. [continues 440 words]
Women WHO Turn to Illegal Drugs in Their Struggle to Lose Weight | One in seven women is using drugs such as cocaine or speed in a desperate attempt to lose weight, according to a survey. Many others take slimming pills or laxatives to try to shed the pounds. Yet both drug-taking and drastic dieting are largely ineffectual, with the great majority regaining any weight they may have lost within weeks or even days. Nearly three out of ten women who took part in an internet survey by the celebrity magazine Now admitted they had made themselves sick after eating. [continues 526 words]
Smoking cannabis is more harmful than cigarettes and more likely to trigger cancer, according to a report. Just three cannabis 'joints' a day can cause the same amount of damage to the lungs as an entire packet of 20 cigarettes. The British Lung Foundation says that when cannabis and tobacco are smoked together, the harmful effects are significantly worse. Its research suggests young cannabis smokers may also be at greater risk of throat and gullet cancers. The foundation found that tar from cannabis joints contains 50 per cent more cancer-causing toxins than cigarettes made from tobacco alone. [continues 417 words]
MORE than 30,000 British cannabis smokers could die every year, doctors have warned. Medical experts blame Home Secretary David Blunkett for creating confusion about the risks posed by the drug - leading young people to believe wrongly it is harmless. They say Mr Blunkett's decision to relassify cannabis as a Class C drug - putting it on a level with anabolic steroids and prescription painkillers - sent out the wrong message and played down the devastating health effects of its regular use. [continues 287 words]
