Reply #21: I like how we rag on the right wing for climate change denial [View All]

[Juche]

But you see the same anti-science attitudes about this stuff when we aren't being told what fits our philosophy.

There have been several studies on this subject. One even found a 5x higher rate among people with a specific gene. Another gene variant increased the risk by 1000% (10x higher)

http://www.schizophrenia.com/sznews/archives/005066.html

http://www.schizophrenia.com/sznews/archives/001559.html

http://www.schizophrenia.com/prevention/streetdrugs.html



It was reported today by New Zealand researchers that a double dose of a faulty gene could be the connection between cannabis use and the development of schizophrenia, according to the New Scientist report.

In the original New Zealand study used by researchers, people who had smoked cannabis on three occasions by the age of 15 had a 10 per cent chance of developing the condition by the age of 26.

Dr Mary Cannon's research team recently re-analysed the data from from this study, adding another variable - genetic predisposition to schizophrenia.

The gene they investigated, called COMT (catechol-O-methyl transferase), encodes an enzyme that breaks down a signalling chemical dopamine in the brain.

COMT comes in two forms, one of which is marginally more common in people with schizophrenia and is thought to be a risk factor for the disease.

The results were crystal clear.

The team found that in New Zealanders with two copies of the "normal" version of COMT, smoking cannabis had little effect on their mental health. In people with one normal and one "bad" form of the gene, smoking cannabis slightly increased their risk of psychosis.

But for people with two copies of the bad gene, cannabis spelled trouble: smoking the drug as a teenager increased their likelihood of developing psychosis by a factor of 10.





So if you are at risk of psychosis, don't smoke pot. Also, if you are prone to violence, don't drink. And if you are prone to falling, don't go mountain climbing. And if you are prone to passing out, don't drive. However don't outlaw any of those things (pot, alcohol, mountain climbing, driving, etc).

However some people have genetics that make their dopamine system's prone to problems. And taking drugs like pot (or meth or cocaine for that matter) can greatly increase their risk of psychosis.