POT SMOKERS INCREASE RISK FOR FUTURE MENTAL ILLNESS

LONDON - Using marijuana increases the risk of one day developing a
psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, according to a study that
provides some of the strongest evidence yet linking the drug to a
mental disorder.

Marijuana is one the most commonly used illegal substances in many
countries with up to 20 per cent of young people in places like
Britain reporting either some use or heavy use, British researchers
said, citing government statistics.

Many consider it on par with alcohol or tobacco but the results shows
marijuana poses a danger many smokers underestimate, said Stanley
Zammit, a psychiatrist at Cardiff University and the University of
Bristol, who worked on the study.

The researchers found that marijuana users had a 41 per cent increased
chance of developing psychosis marked by symptoms of hallucinations or
delusions later in life than those who never used the drug. The risk
rose with heavier consumption.

Other findings have highlighted the link between marijuana use and the
risk of schizophrenia-like symptoms such as paranoia, hearing voices
and seeing things that are not there. But this study marks one of the
most comprehensive, thorough and reliable reviews of its kind and
should serve as a warning, two Danish researchers wrote in an
accompanying comment in the Lancet medical journal, which will be
published on Saturday.

They said the results mean an estimated 800 cases of schizophrenia in
the United Kingdom could be prevented each year by ending marijuana
consumption.

"We therefore agree with the authors' conclusion that there is now
sufficient evidence to warn young people that cannabis use will
increase their risk of psychosis later in life," they wrote.