With large studies in peer-reviewed journals showing that marijuana increases the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia, the scientific literature around the drug is far more negative than it was 20 years ago. Comparing two major reports from the National Academy of Medicine, the nonprofit group that advises the federal government on health and medicine, makes the difference clear.
In a report in 1999, the academy (then called the Institute of Medicine) reported that “the association between marijuana and schizophrenia is not well understood.” It even suggested the drug might help some people with schizophrenia. But in its next major report on marijuana, released in 2017, the academy reached a very different conclusion: “Cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of schizophrenia and other psychoses; the higher the use, the greater the risk.”
Yet the change in the scientific consensus has gone unnoticed. Americans in general are far more likely to believe the drug is safe, and even medically beneficial, than they once were. As a result, support for legalization has doubled since 1999.
And this is the rub when people, especially on the Left (when it impinges with their ideology) proclaim, “The Science is settled!!” No, it isn’t. The Left just doesn’t realize its “unknown unknowns.” Science is the continual study of how things work and how things are. There are just too many examples of what was considered to be right was found out to be wrong (like the earth is flat, evil spirits cause disease, leeching). And things that there were held to be wrong (high carb diets) were actually right. Over and over again.
Pot is no different – and now scientists, aside from the mental side effects above, are getting concerned about the direct health impact of pot smoke upon the lungs. It may be as bad as tobacco with thousands of chemicals in that smoke.
Not only that, we seem to be in a rash of studies that they themselves are being proven to be a crock – either the researchers hide their data (like infamous Michael “Hockey Stick of Global Warming” Mann) or simply made them up but got rich and famous for it (Brian Wansink of Cornell on nutrition) or their studies can’t be reproduced by others (like the low temperature cold fusion boys, Andrea Rossi and Sterling Allan of the University of Utah). “Famous” is its own Coin of the Realm for “breakthrough” discoveries.
And it is about getting the research bucks into one’s lab and getting the “results” published in prestigious (or not so prestigious) journals. You see, Power is measured differently in every industry; it isn’t just about “money is Power” as the Left proclaims about the tinting effect of it in Politics (although they are always begging for it). And when the stakes are high, people (being the kind of people they are) are willing to take the shortcuts and shade the truth – even scientists.
No, we are all fallen beings, each and every one of us and are subject to being led astray in our own minds. But I digress.
For somethings, we DO know a lot – but is it all? Doubtful.
For example, we know the effects of Gravity (apple and Newton, f’rinstance) but we don’t know HOW gravity works. Sure, we posit that it is two masses attracting each other but as the distance either increases or decreases, the force of gravity either increases or decreases; we can measure it. But WHY? Scientists only lately were able to confirm Einstein’s prediction of gravity waves – but what causes them? What are they made up of?
Dunno – the science isn’t settled. For as far as we have come scientifically since the Enlightenment, there’s still too much about so much we don’t know.
Ditto with Pot. So I take the “it’s safer than alcohol” schtick with great trepidation – we just don’t know. And that’s not a bad position to take – there’s nothing wrong with admitting we aren’t Oracles. It does mean more research is needed.
And indeed, even the claim that pot has an effect on schizophrenia needs to be researched more (to say otherwise makes me an intellectual hypocrite). I can say, with authority on an anecdotal basis, that pot was the first drug of choice for my addicted son. And it has run way downhill from there. His gateway.
(H/T: Hot Air)
