Complexity Digest 2004.49 - 08.04

06-Dec-2004

Of Reefer and Madness, Science Now Bookmark and Share

Excerpts:
Don't bogart that joint. Marijuana increases the odds of psychotic illness for teens and young adults already at risk. Credit: Comstock Images
Teens with a predisposition for psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia may increase their risk by smoking marijuana, according to a new study. The findings cast light on how cannabis use affects developing brains and hints at new strategies for educating teens about pot's potential dangers.

Marijuana use and psychosis often go hand in hand, but the question of which causes which has been enshrouded in haze.

(...) the researchers found that among young adults with a predisposition for mental illness, those who smoked pot were more likely to develop severe psychosis than those who abstained.