Marijuana-induced Brain Deficits, Medical Conditions, Psychotic Episodes, Suicides, and Violence: a Survey of Medical and Scientific Studies and Cases

Anita Christy, Executive Director
New Beginnings Pregnancy and Parenting Center, Payson, Arizona

“Do Not Confuse Legal With Safe.” American College of Pediatricians

“Those whose minds are steeped in cannabis are capable of quite extraordinary criminality.” Judge Anthony Niblett

While laboratory animals are an expensive way of understanding the risk of cannabis use, North Americans come free.
The Economist

New Beginnings Pregnancy and Parenting Center is a pro-life, non-profit 501(c)3 Christian ministry serving Payson and the surrounding Rim Country communities.   We provide unconditional acceptance and assistance to women and men experiencing planned and unplanned pregnancies.  We support all families, including mothers, fathers, grand-parents, singles, and teens.  Through our volunteer lay counselors and curricula we offer factual information regarding pregnancy, fetal development, child development, parenting, adoption, sexual health and integrity, life skills, and more. 

Part of our curriculum warns of the dangers of alcohol, smoking, and drugs on pregnant mothers and their developing babies.  Our curriculum also warns young people, teens, and preteens of the serious risks of substance abuse. 

This paper investigates the negative outcomes and serious dangers of exposure to marijuana, specifically THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), to pregnant and nursing mothers as well as to anyone under the age of 25. 

One might ask “Aren’t opioids much more dangerous”?  Yes, but the public is very aware of the dangers inherent in meth, cocaine, heroin, and the abuse of prescription medications, etc.  In the case of marijuana, the public can legitimately say, “Well, recreational marijuana is legal in all these states, so it must be safe.”  

IT ISN’T “SAFE” AT ALL

Ms. Bryn Spejcher stabbed her boyfriend 108 times, after experimenting with marijuana for the first time,. “She was hallucinating and hearing voices telling her to ‘Keep fighting! Keep doing what you’re doing’! The more violent she was, the more she was ‘coming back to life.’”  Is it right that she was charged with murder?  How could she have known she could possibly experience a ‘psychotic break’? Isn’t marijuana prescribed as “medicine”?  Isn’t it a safe “recreational” drug in California where this took place? 

Unaware of the dangers, more teens than ever are experimenting with marijuana, with its much higher levels of THC, since legalization of recreational marijuana in 11 states plus Washington, D.C.  The serious dangers to unborn babies, children, and anyone under the age of 25, of smoking, ingesting, and/or inhaling marijuana are emerging. 

This paper presents hundreds of medical and scientific studies, as well as individual cases, which clearly indicate that marijuana use has very serious side effects, some of which are irreversible.  I have included only a small fraction of the vast number of resources available.   You needn’t read all of the following to gain a clear understanding of the short-term and long-term effects of using marijuana (THC).

For example:  

  • Higher rates of depression, hyperactivity, inattention, and even psychosis for children born to moms who smoked or ingested marijuana during pregnancy. Some studies are beginning to show a relationship between marijuana and autism;

  • For anyone under the age of 25, cognitive deficiencies, reshaping of brain matter, the lowering of a person’s IQ, medical diseases, mental issues, increased risk of anxiety, depression, paranoia, hormone imbalances, and other aspects of functioning and well-being;

  • The likelihood of addiction and eventual experimentation with opioids, especially for those who start young;

  • Increased risk of developing Schizophrenia and Psychosis leading to all forms of violence, including Suicides, Homicides, Attempted Murders, Infanticide, and Sexual Violence.

You may be asking yourself, “With all this evidence linking high-potency marijuana to permanent damage to brain function, serious medical conditions, increased hospitalizations, psychosis, and violence, why doesn’t the general public know about it?

Here’s Why: 

1) Marijuana is a huge multi-billion dollar business that needs a solid growing market, and that means gaining young customers who can be counted on to increase their demand, through addiction, for marijuana products.  See articles below under VII. MARIJUANA IS A HUGE MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS.

2) Marijuana has an enormous lobby of wealthy backers who masquerade as “experts” that twist and distort studies, including the Drug Policy Alliance. George Soros is the Drug Policy Alliance’s Chairman

3) Many lawmakers receive large donations from the Marijuana Industry.  

4) The media and entertainment industry are biased in favor of marijuana and haven’t warned you; otherwise, you would have heard about it. For example, Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post is an honorary board member of Soros’s Drug Policy Alliance.  “Part of the group’s clever marketing scheme included making Arianna Huffington an honorary member of the Board of Directors, assuring that articles from her website can push its agenda.”

CONTENTS:

I. DEFINITIONS

II. THC LEVEL HIGHER AND MORE DANGEROUS THAN THC LEVEL OF THE 60’S AND 70’S

III. MEDICAL PROBLEMS SUFFERED BY CHILDREN WHOSE MOMS SMOKED/INGESTED MARIJUANA DURING PREGNANCY

IV. MARIJUANA’S HIGH THC INCREASES RISK OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS, SCHIZOPHRENIA AND PSYCHOSIS

V. VIOLENCE, SUICIDES, HOMICIDES, ATTEMPTED MURDERS RELATED TO MARJUANA

VI. INDIVIDUAL CASES OF VIOLENCE, ABUSE, MURDER, ATTEMPTED MURDER, MANSLAUGHTER, INFANTICIDE, SUICIDE, ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AND SELF-HARM, RAPE, PAEDOPHILIA, AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE

VII. MARIJUANA IS A HUGE MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS

VIII. FIGHTING BACK: RESOURCES

I. DEFINITIONS

Acute Marijuana Psychosis. When marijuana use triggers psychosis, there may be several different symptoms, all characterized by a break with reality. Common marijuana psychosis symptoms are paranoid delusions, suspiciousness, and a sense of grandiosity. Other potential symptoms include hallucinations, dissociation or a feeling of detachment and unreality, disorganized and disturbed thoughts, inappropriate emotional responses, and unusual changes in behavior.

Cannabis.  The terms Marijuana and Cannabis are different terms for the same product.  Both contain THC, which is the psychoactive ingredient that produces the “high” aka ”stoned” effect.   Articles/studies produced in the USA tend to use the term Marijuana.  Studies in the U.K., Ireland, and Australia tend to use the term Cannabis. 

CBD (Cannabidiol).  A source of confusion for many people is that one of the chemicals in marijuana, cannabidiol—usually called CBD—appears to have some limited medical benefits. Unlike Marijuana/Cannabis, which contain THC, CBD is not psychoactive.  Thus, it doesn’t get users high. Unfortunately, many people don’t understand the distinction between THC, CBD, and marijuana/cannabis.  Marijuana advocates have seized on the misunderstanding. They point to studies showing CBD’s possible benefits in order to claim that marijuana has medical value. There’s only one problem. Most marijuana consumed today—whether called “recreational” or “medical”—has lots of THC and almost no CBD. .

Dabbing Dabbers take a tiny bit of butane hash oil (BHO)  — hardened or buttery — and quickly light it up in a small compartment.  BHO is to marijuana as crack is to cocaine.  Users have extracted the THC (the component in the marijuana plant that causes a high) from the plant to get maximum strength, usually using butane gas in some type of glass tube.    When it first comes out, it is an oil, but the oil becomes waxy or buttery before hardening into the bits.  Hardened, it can be broken into tiny bits and give a high that lasts all day. 

Hemp versus Marijuana.  They’re two different names for cannabis, a type of flowering plant in the Cannabaceae family.  While science doesn’t differentiate between “hemp” and “marijuana,” the law does.  Legally, the key difference between the two is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content. The term “hemp” is used to mean cannabis that contains 0.3 percent or less THC content by dry weight. Legally, “marijuana” refers to cannabis that has more than 0.3 percent THC by dry weight.  …. law enforcement officers have stated that distinguishing between hemp and marijuana is “not possible.”

Marijuana.  See Cannabis

Schizophrenia.  A mental illness that includes symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, unusual or agitated movements or aimless activity, difficulty making decisions, loss of focus or attention, disorganized thinking or memory lapses, negative symptoms such as a loss of emotional expression or a loss of motivation and ability to complete tasks, and withdrawing from social situations.

Skunk Weed.  A term kids use to describe THC with a concentration higher than 10 percent.

Spice.  One of many street names for synthetic cannabis.  “Wherever one finds a discussion about Spice online, the word dangerous is never too far away.” 

THC:  Tetrahydrocannabinol, the plant chemical in marijuana/cannabis which elicits the “stoned” experience. 

II. THC LEVEL HIGHER AND MORE DANGEROUS THAN THC LEVEL OF THE 60’S AND 70’S

Arizona Teens are using a highly potent form of marijuana.  “Nearly one in four Arizona teens have used a highly potent form of marijuana known as marijuana concentrate, according to a new study by Arizona State University researchers…Among nearly 50,000 eighth, 10th, and 12th graders from the 2018 Arizona Youth Survey, a biennial survey of Arizona secondary school students, one-third (33%) had tried some form of marijuana, and nearly a quarter (24%) had tried marijuana concentrate. “Marijuana concentrates have about three times more THC, the constituent of marijuana that causes the “high,” than a traditional marijuana flower. “This is concerning because higher doses of THC have been linked to increased risk of marijuana addiction, cognitive impairment and psychosis, said the study’s lead researcher, Madeline Meier, an ASU assistant professor of psychology. 

The unintended consequences of more potent pot. “The legalization of recreational marijuana in almost a dozen states shows how America’s attitude toward the drug may be changing. But the drug has changed too: Newly developed strains of marijuana are far stronger than what people were smoking in the past, leading to unintended consequences like addiction and marijuana toxicity.     ‘Typically, young children around the age of 2 are getting into caregivers’ — whether it’s parents’, grandparents’, babysitters’ — marijuana products, often edible products,’ said Dr. Sam Wang.    Wang’s findings from Colorado’s Children’s Hospital are included in a new nationwide study that showed a 27% increase in children and teenagers getting emergency treatment for marijuana toxicity. Seventy percent of the cases occurred in states with legalized marijuana.    “In severe circumstances, it can affect how they’re breathing and make them comatose and be put on a ventilator,” Wang said. An exponential increase in marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient, THC, is at the center of the crisis.

Processed cannabis reaches up to 90% THC. “There are some concentrates with 90% THC, approximately triple the strength of the world’s strongest marijuana strains.”

Surprising Truths about Legalizing Cannabis | Ben Cort “Listen, this isn’t your grandpa’s weed.” You aren’t buying “weed,” you’re buying THC.  To say that we’ve legalized weed is misleading.  We’ve commercialized THC, an unnatural product.  THC levels of 90%.  Sober since 1996, Ben Cort has seen the devastation that substance abuse can bring first hand as well as the joy that is recovery. He spent the last 10 years inside nonprofit drug treatment and education programs like Phoenix Multisport, Stout Street Foundation, and The University of Colorado Hospital.

Marijuana is a Hard Drug, Dutch Doctor Compares to Heroin.  “The cannabis grown and sold today is not the same drug as was available in the 1970s. The average THC has increased to more than 15%. Cannabis issue can clearly lead to addiction. The damage to the brain from chronic use is worse compared with chronic use of heroin. Among the negative effects of long-term cannabis use in adolescence include neuro-psychological dysfunction, decline in IQ, short memory, among others.” 

III. MEDICAL PROBLEMS SUFFERED BY CHILDREN WHOSE MOMS SMOKED/INGESTED MARIJUANA DURING PREGNANCY

Remarks on Surgeon General’s Marijuana Advisory. “….Despite the serious risks associated with marijuana, trends indicate that pregnant women and young people are growing more likely to use the drug—and less likely to recognize the risks. This is unacceptable, and the Trump Administration will do everything in its power to turn these trends around. It is a dangerous drug. For many, it can be addictive. And it is especially dangerous for adolescents and pregnant women, because of what we know about how it affects the developing brain.   And when a pregnant woman uses marijuana, THC can enter their baby’s brain and poses risks for its development—a risk that continues during breastfeeding….Worryingly, marijuana use is also linked to risk for and early onset of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, and the association strengthens with more frequent use, stronger THC content, and earlier first use.”

Using weed during pregnancy linked to psychotic-like behaviors in children, study finds. “The study, published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry, analyzed data on 11,489 children who were followed as part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which says it’s the ‘largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States’.”

How Marijuana Exposure Affects Developing Babies’ Brains. “Children of marijuana users were more impulsive and hyperactive, and exhibited behavioral issues, lower IQ scores, and memory problems when compared to children of non-users.”

Prenatal Exposure to Cannabis Affects the Developing Brain. “During adolescence and early adulthood, fetal cannabis exposure has been linked to persistent reduction in memory and concentration, higher rates of drug use, and an increased incidence of hyperactivity, signs of depression, and psychotic and schizophrenic-like symptoms. “

CBS Highlights Problems After Marijuana Legalization in Colorado. When mothers are informed their babies test positive for marijuana, they aren’t surprised. But when they learn that it’s harmful to their newborns, they are shocked. “How can it be harmful? It’s a legal drug.”

The Effects of Marijuana on Fetal Development. “THC crosses the placenta, enters fetal blood circulation, passes through the blood brain barrier, and is found at the highest levels in fetal fat tissue. The brain is 60% fat and therefore stores THC following maternal ingestion. The brain is also densely populated with CB1 receptors which mediate THC’s psychoactive properties.

  1. Folic Acid Uptake: As stated above, THC interferes with fetal folic acid uptake. Low levels of folic acid during pregnancy are known to be associated with neural tube defects and low birth weight.
  2. Cellular Growth: Exogenous cannabinoids may interfere with critical pathways for cellular growth and angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels).
  3. Neural Development: Cannabinoids acting upon the CB1 receptor have the ability to influence the differentiation of neural cells from stem cells in the brain. This has tremendous potential to negatively affect learning and memory as well as developmental processes such as limb development.”

CBD and THC use during early pregnancy can disrupt fetal development. “Brain and fetal development damage caused by exposure to CBD and THC are very similar defects seen in fetal alcohol syndrome.”

Marijuana Use During Pregnancy Linked To Autism In Children: Study. “These are not reassuring findings. We highly discourage use of cannabis during pregnancy and breastfeeding,” said study author Dr. Darine El-Chaâr, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and clinical investigator at Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in Canada.

Gene linked to autism undergoes changes in men’s sperm after pot use.  “This study is the first to demonstrate an association between a man’s cannabis use and changes of a gene in sperm that has been implicated in autism,” said senior author Susan Murphy, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Duke University School of Medicine. 

Pueblo Physicians Code Red – Dr. Steven Simerville, Medical Director, Nursery, St. Mary-Corwin Hospital.  “….7-10% of babies born in our hospital test positive for THC.” Dr. Simerville noted that back in the 70’s, when the THC level was much lower than it is today, the children of mothers who smoked marijuana showed decreased school performance, difficulties in spatial reasoning, difficulties in problem solving, difficulties in short term memory, and less likely to graduate from high school.  

IV. MARIJUANA’S HIGH THC INCREASES RISK OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS, SCHIZOPHRENIA AND PSYCHOSIS

Recovery from Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS).  This Facebook site is dedicated to helping people get through the terrible illness Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome. It is for people who intend to quit smoking marijuana. We encourage our members to live happier and healthier day to day, and we are devoted to helping people get their life back on track.

Pot is sending more people to the hospital in Colorado with extreme vomiting, psychosis.  “University of Colorado School of Medicine researchers reviewed health records of 9,973 patients at UC Health University of Colorado Hospital from 2012 to 2016, and found a more than three-fold increase in cannabis-associated emergency department visits, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of Internal Medicine. The state legalized cannabis completely in 2012 and allowed sales in 2014. 

Study: Psychosis Five Times More Likely for Marijuana Users.  “This paper suggests that we could prevent almost one quarter of cases of psychosis if no-one smoked high potency cannabis,” said Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research at King’s College London and a senior researcher for the study. “This could save young patients a lot of suffering and the NHS (National Health Service) a lot of money,” he said.

Smoking weed ‘raises risk of irregular heart rate, heart failure and heart attacks’. “Scientists found taking cannabis comes with substantial risks and could have a negative impact on the heart and blood vessels, with no benefits for cardiovascular health.”

12 Pages of Case Studies.   A Synopsis of the Numerous Studies Supporting an Causal Relationship between Marijuana Use and The Chronic Psychotic Disorder Schizophrenia .”There was an increased risk of any psychotic outcome in individuals who had ever used cannabis…with greater risk in people who used cannabis most frequently. There is now sufficient evidence to warn young people that using cannabis could increase their risk of developing a psychotic illness later in life.”  

National Drug Prevention Alliance: International News.  This website tracks thousands of articles and research papers from around the world on the negative outcomes of marijuana use.

Cannabis-Induced Psychosis: A Review.  Psychiatric TimesSpecifically in youth, there is a direct relationship between cannabis use and its risks. The lack of knowledge surrounding its detrimental effects, combined with misunderstandings related to its therapeutic effects, has potential for catastrophic results

Marijuana and the developing brain. The team found that persistent marijuana use was linked to a decline in IQ, even after the researchers controlled for educational differences. The most persistent users — those who reported using the drug in three or more waves of the study — experienced a drop in neuropsychological functioning equivalent to about six IQ points (PNAS, 2012). “That’s in the same realm as what you’d see with lead exposure,” says Weiss. “It’s not a trifle.”…..” At least until the early or mid-20s, “the brain is still under construction,” says Staci Gruber, PhD, a neuroscientist and director of the Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Core and the Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) Program at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School. “During this period of neurodevelopment, the brain is thought to be particularly sensitive to damage from drug exposure. And the frontal cortex — the region critical to planning, judgment, decision-making and personality — is one of the last areas to fully develop,” Gruber says. 

Young Marijuana Users Face Psychosis Risk.  “Marijuana use directly increases the chance of psychosis in teens, new research suggests.  A large study of teens shows that “in adolescents, cannabis use is harmful” with respect to psychosis risk, says study author Patricia J. Conrod, PhD, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Montreal.  The effect was seen for everyone in the study, says Conrod, not just teens with a family history of schizophrenia or something biological that makes them more likely to be affected by it.  “The whole population is prone to have this risk,” says Conrod. 

Effects of Adolescent THC Exposure on the Prefrontal GABAergic System: Implications for Schizophrenia-Related Psychopathology.  (NOTE: This article references 155 separate articles, including many research studies.) “Chronic marijuana use before the age of 17 and elevated THC concentration in current popular street strains are factors that can increase this risk of developing schizophrenia. Why is this the case? Because adolescence is a period of vast neuronal, maturational, and morphological changes throughout the brain. Specifically, the adolescent central nervous system (CNS), in particular the frontal cortex (8, 9), is in a state of extreme vulnerability due to myelination, synaptic pruning, volumetric growth, changes in receptor distribution, and programming of neurotrophic levels (1013). Nevertheless, given the specific vulnerability of the adolescent brain to THC-induced neuropsychiatric risk, it is critical to identify and characterize the specific mechanisms and neuroanatomical circuits by which exposure to chronic THC may set-up the developing brain for later onset of serious mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia.”

Marijuana Addiction & Abuse. “…side effects of marijuana include Memory Loss, Dizziness, Breathing Problems, Lung Infection, Depression, Psychosis, Increased Heart Rate.   “In high doses, marijuana can cause hallucinations, delusions and psychosis. These symptoms cause thousands of emergency department visits each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…..“Marijuana is called a gateway drug because of its effects on the developing brain. The drug has more significant effects on the adolescent brain than the adult brain. Regular marijuana use during teenage years can make the brain more vulnerable to addiction and experimenting with other drugs later in life.”  “ 

Legalized Cannabis in Colorado Emergency Departments: A Cautionary Review of Negative Health and Safety Effects, by Brad Roberts, M.D.    Cannabis legalization has led to significant health consequences, particularly to patients in emergency departments and hospitals in Colorado. The most concerning include psychosis, suicide, and other substance abuse. Deleterious effects on the brain include decrements in complex decision-making, which may not be reversible with abstinence. Increases in fatal motor vehicle collisions, adverse effects on cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, inadvertent pediatric exposures, cannabis contaminants exposing users to infectious agents, heavy metals, and pesticides, and hash-oil burn injuries in preparation of drug concentrates have been documented. Cannabis dispensary workers (“budtenders”) without medical training are giving medical advice that may be harmful to patients.

Cannabis use and the risk of developing a psychotic disorder.  “There is now reasonable evidence from longitudinal studies that regular cannabis use predicts an increased risk of schizophrenia and of reporting psychotic symptoms. These relationships have persisted after controlling for confounding variables such as personal characteristics and other drug use.”  World Psychiatry Report.   

He loved weed. Then the vomiting began. Months later, he died 

Study Confirms Rising Rate of Marijuana Exposure in Young Children. “…a recent study from Nationwide Children’s Hospital has found that marijuana poses a risk to young children, and these risks need to be considered….Of the nearly 2,000 cases that were reviewed (or 140 cases a year), 83 percent of them occurred at home. Three-quarters of the cases occurred in children under the age of 3….Sadly, some children went into a coma, had multiple seizures or breathing problems. These cases are reminders that marijuana, though being legalized in some states, is still a drug with potentially dangerous effects.”

Local teen wants more people to know about a rare medical condition linked to marijuana use. “They initially sent me to a gastroenterologist. They told me that they see a lot of this with people who smoke marijuana,” Unger said. “I’m like, that’s ridiculous. This could never happen to me. I just kept smoking. I totally ignored the fact that she told me that’s what was wrong with me.” Unger said she continued smoking marijuana daily for the next four months. In August, she ended up back in the hospital and said the doctors there told her the same thing. Again, Unger said she was doubtful. “I’m like, ‘You’re ridiculous,'” Unger said. But, the next morning, Unger said she started doing her own research.  “I joined a Facebook group that was all about CHS,” Unger said. “It just hit me and I was like, ‘Okay. I’m stopping today.’ Ever since August 28th, I haven’t touched anything and I’ve been feeling amazing.”  

Marijuana Intoxication Blamed In More Deaths, Injuries.  Dr. Chris Colwell, Chief of Emergency Medicine at Denver Health Medical Center, said since the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado, he has seen more and more cases like these of people who have ingested marijuana making poor decisions, decisions they would not otherwise make.  ‘In some cases they will ingest marijuana and behave in a way we would describe as psychotic,” he said.  Colwell recalled one particular case from last Halloween when a man ingested marijuana edibles, dressed up as Superman, and then jumped off a balcony, “Almost as if he could fly as the costume would imply.” Colwell said the man suffered seven fractures but survived. 

Adverse Health Effects of Marijuana Use ““Both immediate exposure and long-term exposure to marijuana impair driving ability; marijuana is the illicit drug most frequently reported in connection with impaired driving and accidents, including fatal accidents. There is a relationship between the blood THC concentration and performance in controlled driving-simulation studies.”….The authors go on to write, “Recent marijuana smoking and blood THC levels of 2 to 5 ng per milliliter are associated with substantial driving impairment.” …The doctors who wrote the article concluded, “During intoxication, marijuana can interfere with cognitive function and motor function and these effects can have detrimental consequences.”

As scans show drug’s impact on brain, a top doctor warns of a psychosis, paranoid delusions and a superskunk schizophrenia timebomb “I don’t think any serious researcher or psychiatrist would not dispute that cannabis consumption is a component CAUSE of psychosis.” Prof. (Sir) Robin Murray, 2018.

Rates and Predictors of Conversion to Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder Following Substance-Induced Psychosis.  “Substance-induced psychosis is strongly associated with the development of severe mental illness…”   American Journal of Psychiatry. 

Smoking Strong Pot Daily Raises Psychosis Risk, Study Finds.  “The scientists estimated that people who smoked marijuana on a daily basis were three times more likely to be diagnosed with psychosis compared with people who never used the drug. For those who used high-potency marijuana daily, the risk jumped to nearly five times.”  

Acute Marijuana-Induced Psychosis May Predict Future Illness.  “Some individuals experience acute psychotic symptoms that are time-linked to ingesting a recreational drug. These symptoms usually resolve within a few days or a week. However, recent evidence indicates that a significant percentage of these people later develop a chronic psychotic illness……Most people who use marijuana don’t develop an acute psychosis lasting several days. However, for those that do, the risk of developing schizophrenia or bipolar disorder is frighteningly high (almost 50 percent). ” 

Marijuana Lobby Offers New Packaging, Same Deception.

Think it’s harmless? Now nine in ten teens at drug clinics are being treated for marijuana use.  2018At least two studies have shown repeated use triples the risk of psychosis, with sufferers repeatedly experiencing delusional thoughts. Some victims end up taking their own lives.  “Last night, Lord Nicholas Monson, whose 21-year-old son Rupert Green killed himself last year after becoming hooked on high-strength cannabis, said: ‘These figures show the extent of the damage that high-potency cannabis wreaks on the young.  ‘The big danger for young people – particularly teens – is that their brains can be really messed up by this stuff because they are still developing biologically. If they develop drug-induced psychosis – as Rupert did – the illness can stick for life.’ 

The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado: The Impact. According to a September 2019 study by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, “since recreational marijuana was legalized, traffic deaths involving drivers who tested positive for marijuana more than doubled; emergency department visits related to marijuana increased 54 percent; marijuana-related hospitalizations increased 101 percent; suicide incidents in which toxicology results were positive for marijuana has increased from 14 percent in 2013 to 23 percent in 2017. Also, the RMHIDTA Colorado Drug Task Forces (10) conducted 257 investigations of black market marijuana. Seizures of Colorado marijuana in the U.S. mail system has increased 1,042 percent from an average of 52 parcels (2009-2012) to an average of 594 parcels (2013-2017) during the time recreational marijuana has been legal. Tax revenue represents approximately nine tenths of one percent of Colorado’s FY 2018 budget. The societal damage is so severe, that “64 percent of local jurisdictions in Colorado have banned medical and recreational marijuana businesses.”

Large New Study Shows Teen Cannabis Use Risk for Later Depression “Leaders of the Parents Movement of the late 1970s and 1980s feared their children’s pot use led to apathy, lower grades and other drugs. The old concerns remain, but the new anti-pot Parents Movement warns more about the fact that marijuana may lead to severe forms of mental illness.  A new study confirms that teen marijuana use increases depression and the risk for suicide in young adulthood.”

Lessons Learned from Legalization 2020-2021. “There’s a 25% increase in youths with Cannabis Use Disorder in states that legalized pot. The increase follows the increase in marijuana potency, as pot shops sell the most addictive products that create the highest demand….At least 18% of traffic fatalities in Colorado and Washington involve drivers impaired by THC. Driving under the influence of THC remains a huge problem, as pot users believe they aren’t impaired….Huge arrests of international cartels, from many countries in Asia, Europe and Latin America, demonstrate how the legal pot market invites criminal activity. These drug sellers move into states with legalization, where they can buy up property, grow indoors or outdoors, and hide behind the legal market.” 

V. VIOLENCE, SUICIDES, HOMICIDES, ATTEMPTED MURDERS RELATED TO MARJUANA

Lessons Learned from State Marijuana Legalization. 2020-2021 Edition. This 80-page document covers the aftermath of legalizing recreational marijuana in 12 states plus Washington D.C. They have compiled publicly available state-level data, reports, investigatory findings, peer-reviewed studies, and government health surveys to assemble this report. It covers a vast number of negative outcomes, including (but not limited to) increases in traffic fatalities; suicides; THC vaping deaths; hospitalizations; cases of Cannabis Use Disorder diagnoses among 12-17 year olds; daily marijuana use among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders; illicit (black market) plants seized from Colorado Public Lands; and workplace labor shortages and accidents.

Choosing a College? Don’t Send Your Kid to Colorado….Or California, or Oregon or Washington.  “If your college-bound teen wants to go to Colorado, or any other state where recreational marijuana is legal and commercialized, they’re risking their lives. Not only have deaths occurred, but students are developing mood disorders and mental problems from experimenting with cannabis.  College campuses in pro-marijuana  states are awash in drugs, and some of their peers will promote drug use.  They say,  “It’s safer than alcohol,” or “It’s not addictive.”  Nothing could be further from the truth.  . 

The impact of adolescent cannabis use, mood disorder and lack of education on attempted suicide in young adulthood. “There is evidence that substance use disorders in adulthood increase the risk of suicidal behaviours. Here we show that any use of cannabis in the early adolescent period is a strong independent predictor of attempted suicide in young adulthood.”

Marijuana can cause psychosis, suicides, and violence. In this Youtube video,  Dr. Catherine Antley describes the science that supports THC as a causal factor for psychosis, suicides, and violence. Smart Colorado features testimony from a Pueblo Colorado ER physician, Dr. Brad Roberts. Dr. Roberts describes the psychosis he’s seen in the ER and the devastating impacts it causes the community of Pueblo Colorado.

Marijuana Is More Dangerous Than You Think. “The most obvious way that cannabis fuels violence in psychotic people is through its tendency to cause paranoia. Even marijuana advocates acknowledge that the drug can cause paranoia; the risk is so obvious that users joke about it, and dispensaries advertise certain strains as less likely to do so. But for people with psychotic disorders, paranoia can fuel extreme violence. A 2007 paper in the Medical Journal of Australia looked at 88 defendants who had committed homicide during psychotic episodes. It found that most of the killers believed they were in danger from the victim, and almost two-thirds reported misusing cannabis—more than alcohol and amphetamines combined.”

What is the truth about the risks of marijuana? Daphne Bramham reviewed Alex Berenson’s book Tell Your Children: The Truth about Marijuana, Mental Illness and Violence,. Berenson, a former New York Times reporter, set out to scare people with his book about the dangers of marijuana. “It’s data heavy, drawing on scores of peer-reviewed studies and reports, including the New Zealand study of cannabis users, that spans nearly five decades and concluded that people who used cannabis at age 15 were more than four times as likely to develop schizophrenia. It’s information from the public and academic realms, although most of it has been ignored by mainstream media..  

VI. INDIVIDUAL CASES OF VIOLENCE, ABUSE, MURDER, ATTEMPTED MURDER, MANSLAUGHTER, INFANTICIDE, SUICIDE, ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AND SELF-HARM, RAPE, PAEDOPHILIA, AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Whenever you hear of horrendous cases of mass killings, or a “flipping out” frenzy of multiple violent methods upon one individual, it’s nearly always a sign of a mind unhinged by self-induced drugs.  Sometimes the perpetrator appeared to have slid into schizophrenia and psychosis prior to self-medicating with marijuana (aka cannabis).  Sometimes, the heavy smoking of THC-laden marijuana or ingestion of potent edibles, for the first time, produces a psychotic state. 

Ross Grainger of the United Kingdom has been tracking headline-grabbing suicides, homicides, manslaughters, attempted murders, infanticides, rapes and sexual violence, going back to 1998.  He is the Creator of Attacker Smoked Cannabis: suicide and psychopathic violence in the UK and Ireland.’ He is also the author the book by the same title. It is available on amazon.com.  Following are links to hundreds of cases. Following these cases are several more. These are just a fraction of the true numbers.

300 Cases of Violence, Abuse, and Attempted Murder. ‘A deranged knifeman who stabbed five people in a four-day rampage told doctors he was smoking cannabis every day to help him manage voices in his head, a court heard. Jason Kakaire, 30, knifed four men and a woman in a horrific spree of violence in Edmonton, north London.’ (Daily Mail, 4th March 2020). Cannabis addict who stabbed five people did it to stop voices in his head, court hears as attempted murder charges against him are dropped.

235 Cases of Murder, manslaughter and infanticide“This was an appalling attack of extreme and persistent violence. And I have no doubt it would not have happened if you had not consumed cannabis. Anyone who unlawfully takes a dangerous mind-altering controlled drug and who then finds that his mind is altered in unexpected and undesired ways must take responsibility for his subsequent actions.”  Judge Findlay Baker QC. 

75 Cases of Suicide, attempted suicide and self harm. “We firmly believe cannabis was the catalyst in a chain of events that ended with Lee’s death. Children who smoke cannabis are playing Russian Roulette with their lives, particularly if they are at risk from suffering mental ill health. The government should be making everyone aware that cannabis is harmful.”
Parents of Lee Wellock: Parents’ blast after cannabis led to son’s death

66 Cases of Rape, paedophilia and sexual violence.  “It must be every victim’s worst nightmare to awake from a deep sleep and find an intruder armed with a knife. It is truly a picture of horror. You have had such an awful effect on this lady’s life.” Judge Kerry Macgill: Cannabis-addicted boy aged just 14 raped 58-year-old woman at knifepoint in her home

The common element in all these suicides or self-inflicted deaths was marijuana.   Marijuana was the only factor, not alcohol or other drugs:  Marc Bullard, 23, Colorado; Brant Clark, 17, Colorado; Tron Dohse, 26, Colorado; Luke Goodman, 23, Colorado, traveling from Oklahoma; Daniel Juarez, 18, Colorado; Shane Robinson, 25, California; Rashaan Salaam, 41, Colorado; Levy Thamba, 19,  Colorado, traveling from Wyoming; Hamza Warsame, 16, Washington; Andy Zorn, 31,  Arizona. 

Marijuana is the Common Web Between So Many Mass KillersWhen Marijuana Use Leads to Acute or Chronic Psychosis.  While around 50% of American adults have tried marijuana, only 10-13 % of adults smoke pot on any regular basis.  Pot-using mass killers often stand out because of the chronic and obsessive nature of their marijuana habit. 

Marijuana Violence and Law.”  (NOTE: This paper identifies several high profile violent crimes. What you never heard or read was that the common denominator in every one was marijuana.) “Marijuana is currently a growing risk to the public in the United States. Following expanding public opinion that marijuana provides little risk to health, state and federal legislatures have begun changing laws that will significantly increase accessibility of marijuana. Greater marijuana accessibility, resulting in more use, will lead to increased health risks in all demographic categories across the country. Violence is a well-publicized, prominent risk from the more potent, current marijuana available. We present cases that are highly popularized storylines in which marijuana led to unnecessary violence, health risks, and, in many cases, both. Through the analysis of these cases, we will identify the adverse effects of marijuana use and the role it played in the tragic outcomes in these and other instances. In the analysis of these cases, we found marijuana as the single most common, correlative variable in otherwise diverse populations and circumstances surrounding the association of violence and marijuana.” Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy.” 

Search continues for suspect in fatal shooting at Riverside County ‘organized crime’ marijuana grow. “Seven people were fatally shot at a residence authorities believe was being used “to manufacture and harvest an illicit marijuana operation.”

Father visits late son’s high school with marijuana message:  Marijuana Killed My Son.  “A psychiatrist warned Tom that if he didn’t stay off pot, he risked developing schizophrenia. Tom Osborn later stabbed himself through the heart after his mother wouldn’t give him money to buy pot, his father said.” 

Reports of child neglect piled up. BSO declared the kids safe. Now the boys are dead.  Mother’s neglect and abuse reported over and over—heavy marijuana user.  “In April 2018, state child welfare authorities were told that then-21-year-old Wildline Joseph got stoned regularly, and allowed two of her small children to wander the neighborhood day and night with no supervision.  Investigators with the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) apparently decided this was acceptable behavior, as they took no action to stop it. So Joseph continued to leave her children outside alone.  Until it killed them.”    

Tomah man admits negligence in infant’s death.  “His attorney Rebecca Coffee stipulated that the incident Nov. 5, 2015, rose to the level of negligence, saying Tralmer was under the influence of marijuana when he was caring for his son…..An autopsy found he suffered seven broken ribs, a fractured skull and bleeding in his brain, according to the complaint.”   

No Sane Reason:  Hilman Jordan was let out of a D.C. mental hospital 17 years after shooting a man. Now he’s accused of killing again.  “In an attempt to calm himself, reports said, he began smoking marijuana heavily that summer, which might have worsened matters. Studies show that the active ingredient in pot, known as delta-9-THC, can exacerbate the paranoia and delusions of someone in the throes of mental illness. As his downward spiral accelerated, a report said, ‘his family urged him to see a doctor, but he refused,’ preferring to self-medicate with cannabis.”

There’s nothing funny about today’s highly potent marijuana. It killed my son.. “As attorneys argued over a section of an Arizona law that differentiates between marijuana and cannabis, the state’s Supreme Court justices joked about baking pot brownies in their kitchens. They clearly do not understand how the marijuana industry has irresponsibly manipulated pot into dangerously high levels of potency…My son could explain it to them. Or he could if he were still with us.

Richard Kirk, accused of fatally shooting wife while high, pleads guilty.  Kristine Kirk called 911 to report her husband (Richard Kirk) was acting erratically after eating marijuana edibles.  While she was on the phone, her husband found a gun, shot her in the head, fatally killing her in front of their three children.  The husband’s lawyer claimed he was not responsible for his actions due to “involuntary” intoxication.   

Cannabis made me suicidal and schizophrenic – this is what I want young people to know about the drug.  “Ad Gridley was 18 when he had his first cannabis joint while on a gap year in Canada. He had no idea his choices then would – most likely – be the trigger for a 10-year unremitting, downward spiral that would see him diagnosed with schizophrenia and make multiple suicide attempts.

‘I will kill you all’ – what Sheffield machete attacker yelled inside McDonald’s as people fled in terror.  “A machete-wielding drug user was high on spice when he ran into a McDonald’s in Sheffield and shouted ‘I will kill you all’ after attacking an innocent bystander at a bus stop.” Sheffield Crown Court heard how he had been high on spice, a synthetic form of cannabis, that morning when he went into the city centre intent upon attacking someone with the ‘murderous’ weapon, which had an 18-inch curved blade.”

Gemma Simpson death: Martin Bell jailed for 12 years.  ”After they smoked cannabis together Bell had told Miss Simpson: “God wants me to kill you”, the court heard. He then struck her repeatedly with a hammer and stabbed her before leaving her body in a bath for several days, prosecutors said.

Cannabis-induced psychosis’ suspected in case of man who killed mother (9/9/2019).  “…Dickout and his sister had consumed cannabis over the course of a family Easter gathering, including cannabis oil. He was 30 at the time of his arrest. At around 12:26 a.m. on April 17, 2017, Dickout’s sister called police to report she had just witnessed her brother stabbing their mother repeatedly and that he appeared to be having some kind of psychotic break as he was screaming at the top of his lungs ‘like a crazy person.’ Police arrived and entered through the front door, where they found Jason Dickout naked from the waist down with blood droplets on his face and t-shirt, his bare feet smeared with blood. He was screaming unintelligibly and laughing. During a subsequent interview with police, he admitted he had never used cannabis oil before that night.”

Marc Bullard: from Magna Cum Laude to Stabbing Himself to Death in Front of His Mother.  Dabbing, Mike and Ginny had never heard of it. For the uninitiated, dabbing is a way to smoke a potent form of highly concentrated THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. It’s known as wax, shatter, and honey. It gives the rush of an instant high. And in Colorado, where recreational marijuana is legal, there are no limits on THC concentration levels in a dab. Dabbing was becoming part of the subculture looking for an ever increasing THC high.

VII. MARIJUANA IS A HUGE MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS

Top Marijuana Stocks on the NASDAQ.  “An increasing number of marijuana companies are being listed on reputable U.S. exchanges rather than being traded on the OTC market reflecting the rapid growth of the cannabis industry.”

20 States Expected to Fully Legalize Marijuana by 2024. “According to the team of Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, worldwide licensed-store cannabis sales totaled $3.4 billion in 2014. Just four years later, they more than tripled to $10.9 billion. By the time 2024 rolls around, they may nearly quadruple once more, with the 2019 State of the Legal Cannabis Markets report calling for $40.6 billion in global licensed-store sales. And, mind you, this figure doesn’t include cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical sales or cannabinoid-based products sold by general retail stores.” 

More Dispensaries in Colorado Than McDonald’s & Starbucks, Combined. “For those eager to be a part of the “green rush,” opening a dispensary can be an attractive option. And thanks to Colorado’s minimal restrictions for cannabis business licensing, nearly anyone over the age of 21 who lives in Colorado and has never been a felon can become a cannabis business owner.”

Marijuana: A wolf in sheep’s clothing “…George Soros was reported to be the largest backer of the Drug Policy Alliance, a major supporter of the legalization of marijuana.”   “the tobacco industry has an interest in marijuana, according to the New York Times. The maker of Marlboro and other cigarettes paid $1.8 billion for almost half of Cronos Group, a cannabis company in Toronto.  In August 2014, Constellation Brands, which owns Corona and other beers, paid $4 billion for a major stake in Canopy Growth, another Canadian marijuana company. That month, Molson Coors, another brewer, formed a joint venture with a cannabis company in Quebec.

VAPING DEATHS TEST MARIJUANA INDUSTRY’S RESISTANCE TO REGULATION. “…October 3, 2018, the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB), announced new regulations that would ban marijuana edibles.  The LCB responded to 382 cases of toxic overdose of marijuana products in 2017, 82 of them involving children ages five and under. A week after the announcement, the LCB rescinded the regulations in response to fierce objections from the industry.”

VIII. FIGHTING BACK: RESOURCES

CHRONIC STATE. A short film that examines how marijuana normalization has impacted communities in legalized states. A sequel to this movie is SMOKESCREEN. If you have trouble loading it, just enter SMOKE SCREEN MOVIE IDAHO in your browser. The societal damage is so severe, that “64 percent of local jurisdictions in Colorado have banned medical and recreational marijuana businesses.”

KeepIdaho: Shedding Light on Little Known Facts About Marijuana Legalization:  KeepIdaho was created in order to shed some light on facts about marijuana legalization that aren’t typically publicized, especially the impact on communities in neighboring states where recreational marijuana is legal. We are surrounded by states that have experienced the process, politics, and promises that marijuana brings; from the introduction of medicinal marijuana to full-on recreational legalization, and we believe Idaho can learn from them in determining the future we want for Idaho.  Based on what we’ve learned from Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Montana, we want to make sure our fellow Idahoans have access to real, hard truths that will help you better understand what’s at stake for our state.   

Marijuana Harmless? Think Again. This website is devoted to educating the public on the most current facts about the dangers of smoking/ingesting marijuana, including when and how to have the “drug talk” with your kids.

Marijuana Talk Kit published by Partnership for Drug Free Kids“When I was a kid…” doesn’t really work when talking with your kids about marijuana today. It’s a whole new ballgame.

MATFORCE. With integrity and determination we, the citizens of Yavapai County, commit to working in partnership to build healthier communities by striving to eliminate substance abuse and its effects.

Moms Strong.  Telling  Our Stories.  Unmasking the Marijuana Charade.   Moms Strong is a national support group partnering to inform and educate those harmed by marijuana and expose the truth of the marijuana industry. “We are a group of Moms who have seen marijuana severely damage our teenage and young adult children. While pot advocates promote stories of how marijuana is a safe, natural and a fun activity, we have instead witnessed our children develop devastating mental health issues after using it. We have observed the side effects of anxiety, panic attacks, paranoia, depression and psychosis, and have even seen a final result of suicide. We have watched how these changes have occurred in some as a sudden psychotic break and in others gradually over a long period of addiction.”

Northern Gila County Community Drug Task Force. “It is the mission of the Northern Gila Community County Drug Task Force to first raise awareness, educate and engage the community in understanding the nature and complexity of drug use and abuse within northern Gila County; to work as an adjunct to civil authorities, emergency first responders, health care professionals, schools and other civic organizations in their efforts to deal with the causes and consequences of legal and illegal use and misuse of controlled substances in the northern Gila County area.” The group will be hosting a ROCK THE PARK event on Saturday, October 24, 10 AM – 2 PM at Green Valley Park

Parents Opposed to Pot: Bursting the Bubble of Marijuana Hype.    “We will burst the bubbles of the marijuana industry, marijuana lobbyists and marijuana activists. Our articles are testimonies, news stories, sprinkled with hardcore science.”