Lately, there has been a huge amount of press over the possible link between schizophrenia and cannabis use. Politicians in the UK, US and elsewhere have exploited that idea to enforce draconian laws over possession. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown famously called the new strain of skunk “lethal” (how does it kill you exactly? Does it make you cough to death?). The media on the other hand loves to whip up hysteria in the general population with unsubstantiated horror stories and moral judgments. And yet, what is missing from all this circus is the view of the scientific community. Brown ignored his own scientific advisors, who suggested that tightening the law was not the best way to tackle the issue. As for the situation here in Greece, nobody asked any scientific body in order to implement the law and the consequences for cannabis possession are extremely severe. So lets look at the most recent evidence, shall we?

A recent article in SF Weekly (http://ow.ly/goVD) presents two major UK studies that have assessed the link between mental illness and cannabis use. Here’s a quote:

“In conclusion, this study did not find any evidence of increasing schizophrenia or psychoses in the general population from 1996 to 2005.”

Here are the links:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19560900

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19539765

Take the time to read the two abstracts. The language may be dry. It certainly isn’ t as eye- catching as the “MARIJUANA MAKES YOU CRAZY” headlines of the tabloids. But the conclusion is inescapable.

Isn’t it time to listen to the scientists and have a lucid debate on the subject? Why leave the legislation to the scare- mongers and the moral crusaders? A culture that has no respect for science is worthy of contempt. Or at least, that is my opinion.

(-Dimitris-)

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