<story><title>Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds</title><url>https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/22/health/marijuana-schizophrenia-study-wellness/index.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>macksd</author><text>&amp;gt;&amp;gt; In 1995, 2% of schizophrenia diagnoses in the country were associated with cannabis use disorder. In 2000, it increased to around 4%. Since 2010, that figure increased to 8%, the study found.&lt;p&gt;Worded that way, causation isn&amp;#x27;t the first thing this suggests to me. If percentage of cases associated with marijuana rise, it could also be that a larger percentage of the population is smoking and admitting to smoking marijuana regularly. If cases themselves rise, it could also be increases in the percentage of cases that actually get diagnosed, etc.&lt;p&gt;It could very well be that marijuana puts you at higher risk of schizophrenia - I certainly have an acquaintance in mind for whom recreational drug usage seems to have led them to a paranoid and narcissistic personality described here in other comments - but the connection in this article feels weak. Certainly weaker than the connection we see between marijuana law enforcement and the negative fallout of that.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>mthoms</author><text>Anecdote: My half-sister is a diagnosed schizophrenic and life-long weed smoker. It seems to me (and her doctors agree) that the two are absolutely related.&lt;p&gt;She was likely predisposed to schizophrenia (because of her father - which we don&amp;#x27;t share) but I often wonder if it would have progressed the way it did absent the heavy smoking.&lt;p&gt;I say this also as a pot smoker myself (but only lightly in the past decade or so). I have nothing against it, and used to scoff at those who were against it.&lt;p&gt;Now... I&amp;#x27;m absolutely convinced that marijuana use can have absolutely catastrophic mental health implications &lt;i&gt;for some people&lt;/i&gt;. I&amp;#x27;m also convinced it can help people with certain conditions.&lt;p&gt;At any rate, it&amp;#x27;s much less benign than I long thought.</text></comment>
<story><title>Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds</title><url>https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/22/health/marijuana-schizophrenia-study-wellness/index.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>macksd</author><text>&amp;gt;&amp;gt; In 1995, 2% of schizophrenia diagnoses in the country were associated with cannabis use disorder. In 2000, it increased to around 4%. Since 2010, that figure increased to 8%, the study found.&lt;p&gt;Worded that way, causation isn&amp;#x27;t the first thing this suggests to me. If percentage of cases associated with marijuana rise, it could also be that a larger percentage of the population is smoking and admitting to smoking marijuana regularly. If cases themselves rise, it could also be increases in the percentage of cases that actually get diagnosed, etc.&lt;p&gt;It could very well be that marijuana puts you at higher risk of schizophrenia - I certainly have an acquaintance in mind for whom recreational drug usage seems to have led them to a paranoid and narcissistic personality described here in other comments - but the connection in this article feels weak. Certainly weaker than the connection we see between marijuana law enforcement and the negative fallout of that.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>heavyset_go</author><text>&amp;gt; &lt;i&gt;Worded that way, causation isn&amp;#x27;t the first thing this suggests to me. If percentage of cases associated with marijuana rise, it could also be that a larger percentage of the population is smoking and admitting to smoking marijuana regularly. If cases themselves rise, it could also be increases in the percentage of cases that actually get diagnosed, etc.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;p&gt;I think this is a good explanation. It&amp;#x27;s also important to acknowledge that norms around marijuana use and the perception of schizophrenia and its symptoms have changed drastically in the last 25 years. So have schizophrenia treatments.&lt;p&gt;Older neuroleptics have severe side effects that cause permanent Parkinson&amp;#x27;s-like movement disorders and are responsible for lowering patients&amp;#x27; life expectancies. It wasn&amp;#x27;t until the mid-to-late 1990&amp;#x27;s that the atypical antipsychotics were approved by the FDA, which had significantly less side effects than older drugs. And then it wasn&amp;#x27;t until the mid-to-late 2000&amp;#x27;s that those drugs had affordable generics. Several new antipsychotics were approved in the 2000&amp;#x27;s that have less side effects, as well.</text></comment>