Cannabis is a vigorous and risky drug that may lead towards violence. Reportedly, it might cause psychotic disorders such as Schizophrenia or Delusional Disorder. Additionally, the related symptoms such as paranoia may lead to ferocious crimes.
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Alex Berenson published a book “Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illnesses, and Violence.” He claims that marijuana is the basis of psychosis. Psychosis leads to violence. As a result, he concluded that marijuana causes violence. This claim is mainly based on two studies that connects the use of marijuana with psychosis.
The Study
The first study was conducted in 1987. It deduced that around 10-15 percent cases of schizophrenia were due to cannabis. Moreover, this disorder provokes violent activities.
The second study was carried out in 2017 by the The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine in the United States. According to the results of this study, use of cannabis may give rise to the possibilities of developing schizophrenia or other psychosis.
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An Incident
Last week, Khairi Saadallah, 25, stabbed three people to death along with injuring three other people during his attack. The people who died are David Wails, Joe Ritchie-Bennett and James Furlong.
Saadallah was reportedly suffering from mental health issues. He was also receiving a therapy for post traumatic stress disorder and various other perplexities such as depression and an emotionally unstable personality disorder. Moreover, he was a chronic cannabis consumer. As a result, it has drawn attention of a few critics.
Consequently, Sir Robin Murray is evaluating research into the influence of drugs on crime. He further believes that there is a connection between heavy ingestion and aggressiveness. He stated that: “I’m a psychiatrist: I see people who have become psychotic, smoke excessively and become paranoid.”
Dr. James Knoll found that young generation have higher consumption of marijuana. Moreover, the use of cannabis is also high among the people with terrible childhood experiences, antisocial personality, low wages, poor school performance and the ones who use other prohibited drugs.
Laboratory Research
Thousands of doses of marijuana were given to several people. Their brains, behavioral, cognitive and social responses were carefully observed. Still, there was not even a single patient becoming aggressive while under the effects of the drug.
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The main effects of smoking cannabis are relaxation, satisfaction, sedation, extreme happiness and increased appetite. But, a high level of THC (the main psychoactive ingredient of cannabis) may lead to slight paranoia and visual or hearing deformations. However, even these effects are not frequent and only seen in very inexperienced users.
According to the statement of British and Dutch researchers, marijuana increases violent actions. However, this happens among the people already suffering from psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. However, at the moment, they do not possess enough research in support of this that marijuana causes psychosis.
As a result, in spite of so many scientific support, these statements only fosters misinformation. Particularly because none of the studies are relevant and are just inappropriate conclusions.