Pubdate: Sat, 08 May 2010 Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON) Copyright: 2010 The Ottawa Citizen Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326 Author: Russell Barth Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n343/a09.html IT'S CRAZY TO CLAIM POT CAUSES CRAZINESS Re: 'Reefer Madness' close to truth worldwide evidence suggests, May 5. Dr. Robert Milin, a psychiatrist and substance-abuse expert, will outline a theory that has gained much credence in the last decade -- that marijuana use increases by two-or threefold the risk of a "psychotic outcome," such as schizophrenia. I find it amusing that this easily debunked myth is still being perpetuated. The "studies" that started this myth show the "link" between marijuana and mental illness point out that no causation has been found. It is equally as likely -- the studies themselves show -- that the mental illness brought on the pot use -- not vice versa. But the main reason that this "pot causes craziness" myth doesn't hold water is this: Pot use has quadrupled in the past 30 years, and the potency of pot has increased significantly. Yet the rate of schizophrenia has remained the same at about 1.1 per cent of the population. Where is the influx of new pot-induced mental patients clogging up our hospitals? So pot is stronger, and four times as many people are using it, but the per capita rate of mental illness has remained the same. (Shh, don't tell anyone THAT part -- it undermines the agenda!) Absurdly, the government will use this "science" and ignore the other science showing how cannabis fights cancer ... in an effort to further stigmatize and criminalize the use of this plant. Readers can visit this website to see for themselves: ww.webmd.com/cancer/news/20071226/pot-slows-cancer-in-test-tube . Russell Barth, Ottawa Educators for Sensible Drug Policy - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom