More Than 100 Toxic Chemicals Found in Cannabis Smoke: U of A study

Kelsey Dyer
CTVNews Edmonton

A young man smoking marijuana at a rally in Vancouver, B.C., on April 20, 2011.

(Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

EDMONTON -- A study from the University of Alberta found 110 toxic chemicals in cannabis smoke, drawing attention to potential health risks.

The group of engineering researchers, led by U of A post-doctoral fellow Robert Nishida, compared smoke samples from a marijuana joint with samples from a tobacco cigarette.

"When it comes to how that effects your lungs, how that effects your health, it's a question of dose in the right spots of your lungs,” Nishida told CTV News, “for example where it's going to have these effects and those sorts of health-related questions."

Tobacco was chosen as a benchmark because it has been studied extensively.  

The researchers found that the physical and chemical properties of the two were quite similar. They have 69 toxic compounds in common, although tobacco had more in total, 173.

The particles in the cannabis smoke were found to be larger, impacting where they get deposited in a smoker's respiratory system.

“Whether it's in the throat or the upper airways, or if it gets transported all the way down into the alveoli, that depends on the size of the particles and their other physical characteristics,” Nishida said.

The researchers also concluded that more research needs to be done on the effects and the potential health risks of cannabis use.

Canada legalized cannabis in October 2018. Before legalization, a University of Calgary study found that 8.9 per cent of Albertans said they had used cannabis, less than the national average.

Cannabis retailers saw a spike in sales at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta.

Marijuana is Nothing Like it Used to Be - Says Mom of 19 y/o Who Suicided

A mom whose 19-yr-old died by suicide has a vital message for parents about marijuana today

Annie Reneau

Laura Stack/Facebook

Laura Stack's son Johnny lost his life to suicide three months ago when he was just 19 years old. Though she says the grief of his death is "still fresh," Stack took to Facebook to share something that happened three days before Johnny died, hoping it will help other parents whose kids may be at risk.

She wrote:

"On Sunday, November 17, 2019 around 5:30 PM, he came over for dinner. He lived in our condo a couple miles down the street and would often pop in for a home-cooked meal. This evening, he was a bit agitated but lucid. 'I need to tell you that you were right,' he told me. 'Right about what?' I asked. 'Right about the marijuana and the drugs. You told me weed and drugs would hurt my brain, and it's ruined my mind and my life. You were right all along. I'm sorry, and I love you.' He died by suicide three days later."

Stack explained that Johnny had "dabbed" since he was 15 or 16. "Do you understand the difference between smoking pot (and some edibles) and dabbing high-THC wax, shatter, or butter?" she asked. "Most of my friends look at me blankly when I say these words and say, 'I've never even heard about this.' If you don't know what cannabis extracts are, and you have children, grandchildren, sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews between the ages of 14 and 24, PLEASE keep reading."

"I am NOT talking about those of you who are supporters of legal recreational marijuana for adults over 21 years old—it's your life—do what you want," Stack clarified. "I know some people who take it successfully for specific medical purposes, so please don't write comments in my post about my personal experience. I'm specifically talking about illegal usage by children and young adults under 21, whose adolescent brains are still forming. You may be thinking, 'C'mon, Laura, it's no big deal – it's just pot.' 'Pot's legal, so it must be safe.' Or 'I did pot when I was a kid, too, and look, it didn't hurt me.'

Well, have you recently studied TODAY'S pot, and have you personally seen its effects on your children like I have?"

Stack explained why today's recreational cannabis is so different:

"First, the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a crystalline compound that is the main active ingredient of cannabis that gives the 'high,' is extracted out of the cannabis so that it's nearly pure. THC is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis. Then a butane torch is used to heat the crystals (similar to beeswax) or oil in a 'rig' (just google it), or a vaping device with a heating element called a dab pen can be used. Forget the 'grass' or 'papers' that were rolled in the 70s and 80s. The pot we grew up with (10% or less THC content) is HUGELY different than today's high-concentrate extracts (often 80% THC content or higher)."

She also explained why young people tend to be affected more by these high THC concentrations, and that the earlier they start the more likely it is that they'll develop a disorder.

"The brain is still developing through a person's 20s, and psychotic disorders typically develop in the late teenage years. During brain formation, heavy cannabis use has been shown to have a negative effect on the formation of neural pathways. It can also lead to heavier drug use. While the vast majority of marijuana smokers never experience CIP, researchers have found that the earlier and heavier someone starts dabbing, the more likely it is that they will develop a disorder at some point (often years later). We must educate our children when they are young (10-12 years old) and use hyper-vigilance in the early teen years, which we found was much easier before the age of 16, when they could drive. We couldn't lock him up or monitor him 24/7. Keep talking and keep trying!!

The harmful combination of a still-forming mind, high-potency THC products, and a high frequency of use = Cannabis-Induced Psychosis. Yes, that's a real diagnosis (or High-THC Abuse – Severe). Repeated CIP incidents can trigger schizophrenia or other mental illness, and even when the cannabis is withdrawn, the psychosis doesn't go away. This is what happened to my beautiful boy. When he died, the toxicology report showed he had ZERO drugs in his system. He wasn't depressed, neglected, drugged, or unloved. He was psychotic, paranoid, and delusional by the time he reached 19, and he refused the anti-psychotic drugs that he now needed, because he thought he wasn't sick (common to schizophrenia)."

It's so easy to think that marijuana use isn't that big of a deal, especially since some states (and Canada) have begun legalizing the drug for recreational use and many people see it as "natural." But the mild, laid-back high many people picture with pot use is not the reality of many of today's marijuana products or methods. Parents need to be aware of the dangers cannabis-derived drugs pose to their children's mental health and educate them as early as possible.

Stack included the following links to articles and studies backing up what she's learned about today's THC products. These are things we all should read and share, as this knowledge and awareness could literally save someone's life.

Potent pot, vulnerable teens trigger concerns in first states to legalize marijuana - The Washington Post

The contribution of cannabis use to variation in the incidence of psychotic disorder - The Lancet Journal

Association of Cannabis Use in Adolescence and Risk of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidality in Young Adulthood - Journal of the American Medical Association

Dabs, Wax, Vaping Weed, Edibles and the Real Impact of High Potency THC Products: What Parents Need to Know - Resources to Recover

How Marijuana May Damage Teenage Brains in Study Using Genetically Vulnerable Mice - Johns Hopkins

Significant link between cannabis use and onset of mania symptoms – Science Daily

Cannabis-induced psychosis: A Review – Psychiatric Times

Summary of literature on marijuana and psychosis - Moms Strong

Halifax Researcher Studies How Cannabis Affects Brain Function in Young Adults

Study taking place in Halifax, N.S. and London, Ont.

Aly Thomson · CBC News 

Dr. Philip Tibbo, a professor of psychiatry, is conducting the study with researchers at Western University in London, Ont. It involves 180 people in both provinces between 18-35 who use cannabis to varying degrees.

One group taking part in the study is affected by some form of psychosis, such as schizophrenia, while the other group is unaffected by an illness. 

Tibbo said daily cannabis use, or even in some cases occasional use, has been shown to negatively impact early gains made by people diagnosed with psychosis.

He said he's looking at how cannabis can impact brain white matter — nerve fibres that connect various parts of the brain — during its final development phase in young adulthood.

It also happens to be a time when cannabis use can be quite heavy.

"This will actually give us a little bit better insight into how cannabis can affect brain structure and brain function," he said.

In this practice scan on the brain of a researcher at Dalhousie University's psychiatry department,

white matter is shown outlined in blue. (Submitted by Kyle McKee)

Tibbo said he will look at whether abnormalities form in white matter as a result of cannabis use. Abnormalities in these connections mean your brain is not functioning at peak capacity.

"Each area of the brain doesn't work independently — it's all interacting. It's very complex. If you have more dysfunctional connections, the brain is not working the way that it should be," he said.

"If there's a particular threshold that is met, you could have symptoms of that disconnection, and part of that could be the expression of illness such as schizophrenia."

Using cutting-edge techniques to image the brain, Tibbo will also be monitoring if people within the healthy sample group have unusual experiences, or psychotic-like symptoms, after smoking cannabis.

Dr. Philip Tibbo is a professor of psychiatry at

Dalhousie University in Halifax. (Submitted by Philip Tibbo)

"What I usually say clinically is if you're going to be smoking, you're doing it because it's supposed to be a pleasurable experience," he said.

"But if you're smoking pot and you're getting a bit more paranoid, or you're feeling a little bit more sketchy, well then perhaps there's some vulnerability there to have negative outcomes, and is that because of the effects of cannabis on your brain white matter?"

The research got underway last May. Subjects are being tested at the outset, after six months and after one year.

He said he hopes the study will eventually arm adolescents and young adults with more information to make informed decisions about cannabis use.

The study costs around $500,000 and is being funded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Research Nova Scotia.

Cannabis Linked to Depression, Suicidal Behaviour in Teens: McGill Study

Good study, but what a shame they did not study the prevalence of

schizophrenia in teen pot users. It is truly frightening!

AARON DERFEL, MONTREAL GAZETTE

“We were quite surprised about suicide behaviour rates,” says the study’s lead author, Gabriella Gobbi.

Teens and young adults who consume cannabis are at an increased risk of depression and suicidal behaviour, suggests a new analysis by a team of researchers at McGill University.

The study follows an awareness campaign by the Quebec government last week that highlighted the risks of smoking pot among young Quebecers. That campaign observed that the brain continues to develop until the age of 25, making teens and young adults more vulnerable to the effects of cannabis.

The McGill study suggests that smoking pot can be linked to depression in about seven per cent of Canadians and Americans between the ages of 18 and 32. That works out to about 25,000 young Canadians and 400,000 young Americans who suffer from depression because of earlier daily or occasional use of cannabis.

The study also warns of a significant increase in the risk of suicidal ideation in teens and young adults who are already susceptible to suicidal behaviour.

“Pre-adolescents and adolescents should avoid using cannabis as use is associated with a significant increased risk of developing depression or suicidality in young adulthood,” the study concludes. “These findings should inform public health policy and governments to apply preventive strategies to reduce the use of cannabis among youth.”

The results were published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry and are based on a review of nearly a dozen international studies comprising more than 23,000 individuals. The researchers, including colleagues at Oxford University and Rutgers University-Camden, did observe a weaker association between cannabis and anxiety.

''A significant percentage of suicidal attempts

are attributable to cannabis.”

“When we started this study, we expected depression to be a factor attributable to cannabis consumption, but we were quite surprised about suicide behaviour rates. Indeed, a significant percentage of suicidal attempts are attributable to cannabis,” Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, a psychiatrist at McGill and the lead author of the paper, said in a statement.

In an interview, Gobbi explained that “if you have some risk of suicidal ideation, cannabis increases your risk by 50 per cent.”

“Each person is different. If you have a risk of suicidal behaviour of three per cent, cannabis will increase that risk to maybe 4.5 per cent.”

Gobbi lauded Quebec for launching its awareness campaign.

“Absolutely,” she said, “because what we know about a lot of studies on prevention is that prevention of marijuana works. The more you do in terms of prevention, the more you will decrease the quantity of young people that smoke cannabis and you will decrease the rate of depression later on.”

Gobbi disputed the notion that cannabis is innocuous because it’s derived from a plant.

“It’s not because cannabis is a plant that it’s harmless or dangerous,” she added. “Cannabis with the concentration of THC that we have today — which is more than 10 per cent — can be dangerous for the brain, and there is some risk of possibly developing depression and suicidal behaviours.”

Not to mention as much as a 1 in 6 chance of full-blown, irreversible schizophrenia.

Although Ottawa (read: our far-left, very Liberal government), legalized the recreational use of cannabis on Oct. 17, 2018, medical associations across Canada have raised a number of health concerns about its consumption. Since the Coalition Avenir Québec was elected to a majority government on Oct. 1, it has tabled Bill 2, which would raise the cannabis consumption age from 18 set by Ottawa to 21. Gobbi is to testify next week at hearings on the subject at the National Assembly.

Cannabis, Even Medical Cannabis Could Be Much Worse Than Thalidomide - Medical Journal

Medical cannabis on the NHS

This article from a prestigious medical journal is written for medical professionals with terms that most of us

will not understand. I have highlighted a several points so you don't have to read every word.

BMJ - British Medical Journal
doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k335

Known Cannabis Teratogenicity (Birth Defects) Needs to be Carefully Considered

It is no accident that in almost the same week both Australia and UK have decided that cannabis is to be recommended for a host of medical disorders mostly in advance of gold standard clinical trials. This is a direct product of the organized transnational global drug liberalization movement orchestrated from New York 1.

I wish to most respectfully disagree with the points made by BMJ editor Dr. Godlee. Diarrhoea and colic occur in cannabis withdrawal; Crohn’s disease has a prominent immune aspect, and cannabinoids are likely acting partly as immune modulators. Statements from patients are uninterpretable without understanding the treatments tried, their withdrawal symptomatology and their personal preferences.

Most importantly, as Dr Godlee states, cannabis is a mixture of 104 cannabinoids. The tide cannot be both out and in at the same time. Medicines in western nations are universally pure substances. This comprises a fundamental difficulty.

Medical research has confirmed that the body’s endocannabinoid system is a finely regulated and highly complex system which is involved in the detailed regulation of essentially all body systems including the brain and cardiovascular systems and stem cell niches.

Studies have shown that the rate of use of cannabis by expecting mothers closely parallels that in the wider community. In fact given the long half-life of cannabis in tissues even were a maternal habitual smoker to stop when she discovered her pregnancy, her infant would continue to be exposed to her on-board cannabinoid load for several months afterwards during critical periods of organogenesis. And other studies show that the father’s cannabis use is even more damaging than the mothers’ 2.

Studies show that the father’s cannabis use

is even more damaging than the mothers’

Whilst much research has focussed on the effects of endocannabinoids in the adult brain relatively little research has looked at the impact of these same effects in the developing brain of the foetus and neonate. Whilst the brain stem is almost devoid of type 1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1Rs) they are in high concentration in many parts of the midbrain, limbic system, subcortical regions and cerebral and cerebellar cortices 3. Foetal CB1Rs have been shown to play key roles in virtually all aspects of brain development including neural stem cell function, determining the ratio of glial v neuronal differentiation, brain inflammation, axonal growth cone guidance, stem cell niche function and signalling, blood flow signalling, white matter and CNS tract formation, glial cell differentiation, myelination, dendrite formation, neural migration into the developing cortex, synapse formation and integration of newly formed neurons into the neural network. They are also found in high density on endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria from which latter they indirectly control major issues including cognition, DNA maintenance and repair systems both by supplying energy and by metabolite shuttle and RNA signalling 4 5.

Hence it is not surprising that gestational cannabis has been linked with a clear continuum of defects, including in protracted longitudinal studies from Pittsburgh, Ottawa and Netherlands impaired cortical and executive functioning; reduced spatial judgement; the need to recruit more brain to perform similar computational tasks 6; microcephaly 7; lifelong smaller heads and smaller brains 6; anencephaly (in two CDC studies 8), and increased foetal death. This progression clearly reflects a spectrum of congenital neurological impairment which is quite consistent with the known distribution of CB1Rs mainly across the foetal and adult forebrain and midbrain and its derivatives 3.

Consistent with a recent explosion of autism

It is also consistent with a recent explosion of autism in Colorado, California, New Jersey and many other sites in USA and internationally in recent years 9. Moreover cannabis induced synpatopathy closely mimics that seen in autism 10 11, as do similar white matter disconnection endophenotypes 3 12.

A similar scenario plays out in the cardiovasculature. The American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics issued a joint statement as long ago as 2007 noting that foetal cannabis exposure was linked with increased rates of ventricular septal defect and Ebstein's anomaly (complex tricuspid valvopathy) 13. This is consistent with recent Colorado experience where ventricular septal defect has risen from 43.9 to 59.4 / 10,000 live births, or 35.3% 2000-2013. Both of these structures are derivatives of the endocardial cushions which are rich in CB1Rs. Concerningly Colorado has also seen a 262% rise in atrial septal defects over the same period. Exposure to other drugs does not explain this change as they were falling across this period. It has also been reported that the father’s use of cannabis is the strongest environmental factor implicated in cardiovascular defects, here involving transposition of the great arteries 2, which is a derivative of the conoventricular ridges immediately distal and continuous with embryonic endocardial cushions, and also rich in CB1Rs.

Similar findings play out in gastroschisis (a birth defect of the abdominal (belly) wall. The baby's intestines are found outside of the baby's body, exiting through a hole beside the belly button). There is an impressive concordance amongst the larger studies of the relationship of gastroschisis and congenital cannabis exposure where senior Canadian authors concluded that cannabis caused a three-fold rise in gastroschisis 14, consistent with a high density of CB1Rs on the umbilical vessels 15.

A 3-fold increase in babies born

with their intestines outside of their bellies.

And cannabis has also been implicated as an indirect chromosomal clastogen and indirect genotoxin through its effect to disrupt the mitotic spindle by microtubule inhibition 16, and likely DNA maintenance and repair 17 by its effect on nuclear actin filaments 18.

Moreover cannabidiol has been shown to alter the epigenome, to be genotoxic, and to bind to CB1Rs at high doses, so the simplistic case that “Cannabidiol is good” – fails.

The simplistic case that “Cannabidiol is good” – fails

These considerations imply that if clinical trials continue to show efficacy for additional indications for cannabinoids, their genotoxic and teratogenic potential, from both mother and father, will need to be carefully balanced with their clinical utility. They also imply that these issues will need to be more widely canvassed and discussed in order to introduce more balance into the heavily biased present global media coverage of the highly misleading misnomer “medical cannabis”.

Only once before has a known teratogen been marketed globally: 

thalidomide

Only once before has a known teratogen been marketed globally: the thalidomide disaster is the proximate reason for modern pharmaceutical laws. With its widespread uptake, rising concentrations, asymptotic genotoxic dose-response curves and actions through the paternal line cannabis could be much worse.

References

1. Open Society Foundations. Open Society Foundations New York: Open Society Foundations; 2018 [cited 2018 4th August 2018]. Available from: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/ accessed 4th August 2018 2018.

2. Wilson PD, Loffredo CA, Correa-Villasenor A, et al. Attributable fraction for cardiac malformations. Am J Epidemiol 1998;148(5):414-23.

3. Yang Q, Huang P, Li C, et al. Mapping alterations of gray matter volume and white matter integrity in children with autism spectrum disorder: evidence from fMRI findings. Neuroreport 2018 doi: 10.1097/WNR.0000000000001094

4. Hebert-Chatelain E, Desprez T, Serrat R, et al. A cannabinoid link between mitochondria and memory. Nature 2016;539(7630):555-59. doi: 10.1038/nature20127

5. Yates D. Learning and memory: The cannabinoid connection. Nat Rev Neurosci 2016;18(1):4. doi: 10.1038/nrn.2016.171

6. Brents L. Correlates and consequences of Prenatal Cannabis Exposure (PCE): Identifying and Characterizing Vulnerable Maternal Populations and Determining Outcomes in Exposed Offspring In: Preedy V.R., ed. Handbook of Cannabis and Related Pathologies: Biology, Pharmacology, Diagnosis and Treatment. London: Academic Press 2017:160-70.

7. Forrester MB, Merz RD. Risk of selected birth defects with prenatal illicit drug use, Hawaii, 1986-2002. Journal of toxicology and environmental health 2007;70(1):7-18.

8. Van Gelder MMHJ, Donders ART, Devine O, et al. Using bayesian models to assess the effects of under-reporting of cannabis use on the association with birth defects, national birth defects prevention study, 1997-2005. Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology 2014;28(5):424-33. doi: 10.1111/ppe.12140

9. Christensen DL, Baio J, Van Naarden Braun K, et al. Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years--Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2012. MMWR Surveill Summ 2016;65(3):1-23. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.ss6503a1

10. Anderson GR, Aoto J, Tabuchi K, et al. beta-Neurexins Control Neural Circuits by Regulating Synaptic Endocannabinoid Signaling. Cell 2015;162(3):593-606. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.06.056

11. Won H, Mah W, Kim E. Autism spectrum disorder causes, mechanisms, and treatments: focus on neuronal synapses. Front Mol Neurosci 2013;6:19. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2013.00019

12. Zalesky A, Solowij N, Yucel M, et al. Effect of long-term cannabis use on axonal fibre connectivity. Brain 2012;135(Pt 7):2245-55. doi: aws136 [pii]

10.1093/brain/aws136 [published Online First: 2012/06/07]

13. Jenkins KJ, Correa A, Feinstein JA, et al. Noninherited risk factors and congenital cardiovascular defects: current knowledge: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young: endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Circulation 2007;115(23):2995-3014. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.183216

14. Moore A., Roulean J., Skarsgard E. Congenital Anomalies in Canada, 2013. A Perinatal Health Surveillance Report. Chapter 7. Gastroschisis.

. In: Public Health Agency of Canada HC, ed. Ottawa: Health Canada, 2013:57-63.

15. Pacher P, Steffens S, Hasko G, et al. Cardiovascular effects of marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Nat Rev Cardiol 2018;15(3):151-66. doi: 10.1038/nrcardio.2017.130

16. Reece AS, Hulse GK. Chromothripsis and epigenomics complete causality criteria for cannabis- and addiction-connected carcinogenicity, congenital toxicity and heritable genotoxicity. Mutat Res 2016;789:15-25. doi: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2016.05.002

17. Caridi CP, D'Agostino C, Ryu T, et al. Nuclear F-actin and myosins drive relocalization of heterochromatic breaks. Nature 2018;559(7712):54-60. doi: 10.1038/s41586-018-0242-8

18. Wang J, Yuan W, Li MD. Genes and pathways co-associated with the exposure to multiple drugs of abuse, including alcohol, amphetamine/methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, morphine, and/or nicotine: a review of proteomics analyses. Molecular neurobiology 2011;44(3):269-86. doi: 10.1007/s12035-011-8202-4

Dutch PM Warns Canadians Against Sparking Up

Mark Rutte is not my favourite person. His government is far-left, though not as far as Trudeau's. He, like other far-left governments in parts of the EU are putting their own women and children at risk by hiding the disastrous atrocities committed by migrants, in the name of political correctness. He also supported Islamic brigades in Syria that supported ISIS. So, no, I don't like Mark Rutte, but what he has to say about cannabis makes sense and comes from a country with 40 years of experience.

Dutch PM Mark Rutte and some cannabis at a dispensary in Ottawa, Canada

© (L) Reuters / Aris Oikonomou ; (R) Reuters / Chris Wattie

Canadians had barely enjoyed legal marijuana for even a fortnight when they received high-level advice against using it, from the unlikeliest of people: the prime minister of the Netherlands.

Mark Rutte’s warnings came on his Thursday visit to Canada, just over a week after its much-anticipated cannabis legalization. He and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau were talking pot use in front of a young audience in Ottawa.

The best policy on drugs for yourself is 'no first use.'

It sounds conservative, but I would urge you:

Don't try at all.

That, coming from the prime minister of a country where buying and using marijuana in designated spaces has been legal for over 40 years. Many of Amsterdam's five million annual tourists specifically flock to its "coffee shops" to spark up or eat pot edibles without fearing the long arm of the law.

One of the problems with today's cannabis is that it's

"so much stronger than when we were young,"

Naturally, young Canadians were interested in Rutte's experience – but didn't get the endorsement they perhaps expected. One of the problems with today's cannabis is that it's "so much stronger than when we were young," Rutte said. He then mentioned his friends' children who were having mental health problems from its use.

He then mentioned his friends' children

who were having mental health problems from its use.

“At least make sure that you don't move from this stuff to other drugs,” Rutte added, perhaps acknowledging that his advice may fall on deaf ears.

Canada is only the second country after Uruguay, and the first of the G20 countries, to fully legalize the growing, selling, and consumption of cannabis, with Trudeau saying the laws removed the “contact that people had with criminals.”

Despite his misgivings about cannabis use, Rutte said the Netherlands too were looking at potential reforms to their own laws, saying coffee shops now have no way of getting the product legally. He added a pilot project was now underway in 10 Dutch cities to fix that.

Like I said!

Let's Clear Up Some Misconceptions About Cannabis Addiction. First Off: Yes, It's Real

Here's what I've observed as a clinical psychologist researching and treating people with cannabis addiction

Dr. Jonathan Stea · for CBC News ·

Cannabis addiction is qualitatively different from a heroin addiction, for example, insofar as it is much less intense and not directly life-threatening. But it is also not trivial because it can lead to significant life-altering challenges. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

I am not a propagandist. I am not a spokesperson for Reefer Madness. I have, however, been pilloried with such accusations for writing about the very real issue of cannabis addiction.

With the legalization of cannabis in Canada arriving in just a couple of months — and provinces finalizing their plans for cannabis retail infrastructure — we should consider the multifaceted impact of a previously-prohibited substance suddenly becoming more readily available. And for roughly one in 10 people who try cannabis, one potential impact could be addiction.

Cannabis addiction is qualitatively different from a heroin addiction, for example, insofar as it is much less intense and not directly life-threatening. But it is also not trivial because it can lead to significant life-altering challenges, including problems with relationships, work, school and mental health. Indeed, one hallmark of addiction is when substance use directly and repeatedly activates the brain-reward system, ultimately leading to significant distress and interference with daily functioning.

Clearing up misconceptions

My particular focus on cannabis addiction is not meant to undermine or negate the potential benefits of cannabis, but rather it is a reflection of my role as a clinical psychologist who has researched and treated people with cannabis addiction for over 10 years.

Last month, I published a piece for Slate about cannabis addiction and was inundated with responses containing a multitude of misconceptions: that cannabis addiction is purely psychological, that cannabis withdrawal is not real, that only those with addictive personalities are susceptible and that cannabis addiction as a phenomenon does not exist at all. I want to address some of those misconceptions here.

For those who believe that cannabis addiction is not real: I encourage you to take a tour of an addiction treatment program. There, you will find people who voluntarily show up for help and are struggling to reassemble their lives as a consequence of an addiction to a substance that many people consider relatively harmless. 

Cannabis can directly and almost immediately change your emotional state. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Many people erroneously believe that cannabis is only addicting in the same way that anything can be addicting: work, exercise, shopping, video games, TV, Twitter, etc. While there is ongoing debate in the scientific literature about the status of what is sometimes called "process addictions" — or behavioural addictions that do not involve substances, such as sex or gambling or video games — cannabis differs from these activities insofar as it can act as an acutely psychoactive/mind-altering substance.

This means that cannabis can directly and almost immediately change your emotional state, such that your brain can become trained to respond to uncomfortable emotions with craving or a strong desire to use cannabis. Unfortunately, if a person practises coping with emotions with the use of substances, they forgo the opportunity to practise managing uncomfortable emotions in healthy ways.

Yes, other activities might also be used to immediately manage difficult emotions, but not via an exogenous and acutely mind-altering substance. And yes, eating candy might be thought of as a way to change your emotional state, but let's get real: eating candy and hitting a bong several times are changing your emotional state in qualitatively different ways.

Diagnosing addiction

Still, I can understand the skepticism many people experience when they hear the phrase "cannabis addiction." The scientific construct of addiction has a complex history and the concept itself is muddy because its meaning has had many iterations.

The diagnostic criteria of cannabis use disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), one of the main psychiatric texts that is used by mental health professionals to diagnose psychiatric and addictive disorders, includes features such as repeated use resulting in a failure to fulfil major role obligations; repeated use in hazardous situations; continued use despite social/interpersonal problems; cravings; tolerance; withdrawal; use for longer periods or in larger amounts than intended; persistent desire or unsuccessful attempts to control use; a great deal of time spent in activities related to use; reduced important social, occupational, or recreational activities; and continued use despite physical or psychological problems.

A misconception I often hear is that if cannabis addiction is real, it must only be psychologically addicting, not physically addicting. This is not true. Researchers have identified an endogenous cannabinoid system, cannabinoid receptors and cannabinoid antagonists, meaning there is a wealth of biological evidence that cannabis can produce both tolerance and withdrawal in animals as well as humans. There is also evidence that cannabis withdrawal is not rare – the majority of participants in cannabis treatment studies report withdrawal symptoms – and that it is clinically significant and meaningful because it can lead to distress, continued use and relapse. 

Research shows that cannabis withdrawal is similar to nicotine withdrawal: The DSM-5 includes diagnostic criteria for cannabis withdrawal and lists possible signs as including irritability, anger, aggression, nervousness, anxiety, sleep difficulty, decreased appetite, restlessness, depressed mood and some other possible physical symptoms (e.g., abdominal pain, shakiness, sweating, fever, chills, and headache).

Granted, cannabis withdrawal is seriously less intense than, say, an opioid withdrawal, but that does not mean it does not exist and that it does not affect those who experience its symptoms.

A final popular misconception I want to address is the idea that only people with an addictive personality can get addicted to cannabis. The biggest challenge with this view is the contentious status of the "addictive personality" construct. There is no scientific agreement on exactly what constitutes an addictive personality and how exactly it relates to the development of particular addictions.

The development of cannabis addiction appears to follow a principle in psychology called equifinality, which means that the end state of cannabis addiction can arise as the result of the interaction between many different genetic and environmental factors. In other words, two people with different genetic profiles and different personalities and different upbringings can both experience cannabis addiction.  

It is a shame that with respect to cannabis use, people often fail to understand that the helpful and harmful truths about cannabis can co-exist simultaneously. Instead, many prefer categorical, all-or-none thinking. The reality is that the legalization of recreational cannabis is complex and exciting and worrisome all at once. It doesn't make one a propagandist to acknowledge that fact.

Dr. Jonathan N. Stea is a registered and practising clinical psychologist in Calgary, with research and clinical expertise in addiction. He has published many peer-reviewed scientific research papers on topics related to cannabis, addiction and mental health. He provides assessment, treatment, and consultation services in a specialty outpatient program for concurrent addictive and psychiatric disorders.

Pediatricians Need More Information on Medical Marijuana for Kids, Study Says

Finally, someone other than me is asking about the effects of marijuana on kids,

but there are many more questions need answering

About half of Canadian doctors surveyed have child or

adolescent patients who have used cannabis

The Canadian Press 

Workers produce medical marijuana at Canopy Growth Corporation's Tweed facility in Smiths Falls, Ontario. In a survey released by the Canadian Paediatric Society on Thursday, many pediatricians expressed concern about the lack of evidence about medical marijuana's effectiveness and its potential risks. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

About half of pediatric doctors surveyed about cannabis say they've encountered a young patient who had used marijuana for a medical reason.

The questionnaire for the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program found 419 of 835 respondents had a patient who had used either authorized or unauthorized cannabis for some sort of medical relief.

The one-time study did not detail how many cases involved unauthorized use, the nature of the condition being treated or the ages of the patients.

But principal investigator Richard Belanger said he's surprised by the number of young cannabis users and says it points to the need for more information for doctors, parents and patients.

The Quebec City pediatrician, also a professor at Laval University, notes that more than a third of respondents — or 316 doctors — said they had been asked by a parent or adolescent patient to prescribe cannabis.

Only 34 doctors said they had done so, with many expressing reservations about efficacy, impacts to developing young brains, and concerns about abuse and dependence.

'Truly worrisome': Pot legalization will hurt youth unless changes made to proposed law, journal says

The survey was conducted in the spring of 2017 as part of the surveillance program's larger look at a host of hot-button issues, including Lyme disease, Zika virus and eating disorders.

'Not only an adult issue'

Belanger said researchers were surprised by how many kids and adolescents appeared to be turning to medical marijuana: "We thought it was less than that."

"We really want to make clear that cannabis is not only an adult issue, either for recreational but [also] medical purposes," Belanger said of the findings.

"Sometimes when we look at treatment we tend to forget kids, and it should not be the case."

Because kids have no voice. That's why people like Dr Belanger need to speak up twice as loud, 'cause politicians are certainly not listening to kids.

Dr. Richard Belanger, a Quebec pediatrician and principal investigator for the survey, says the use of medical marijuana for children is 'a burning issue' for doctors. (Veronique Cote/Handout photo via Canadian Press)

He suspected younger kids received authorized use for conditions including refractory seizures, cerebral palsy and chronic pain, while adolescents were more likely to be unauthorized users and to treat other conditions "such as sleep problems or anxiety."

Belanger said the higher-than-expected usage could also be because the doctors surveyed generally treat kids with chronic and severe conditions that may require alternative treatments, and because most respondents came from urban and academic centres more likely to handle severe cases.

The survey response rate was also just 31 per cent, which "may under or over represent the knowledge and/or experiences of Canadian pediatricians," said the study released Thursday.

Still, the findings raise questions about how impending legalization of recreational marijuana could impact unauthorized medical use.

"We're a bit anxious regarding that," said Belanger, pointing to "mixed perspectives" among doctors.

"From a pediatric perspective, there's seldom reason to authorize cannabis and maybe seizure is one of them, but still, there's no clear, no big evidence regarding that."

The survey found a clear majority of respondents had no knowledge or minimal knowledge on why cannabis might be prescribed for a child or youth and what products and dosages may be authorized.

"Paradoxically, they have a fairly positive view regarding cannabis use for medical purposes for certain conditions, despite the lack of solid scientific evidence regarding its safety and efficacy," said the survey, noting that could be due to difficult cases with limited therapeutic options.

Although medical marijuana has been legal since 2001, many questions remain, said Belanger: "It's a burning issue."

"There's a large space for the [Canadian Paediatric Society] or any other association or authorities to give more information on what are the clear facts regarding the possible benefits and the likely adverse events that can be related to medical use of cannabis."

Belanger noted that the data was gathered prior to the publication of a pivotal study evaluating the use of cannabidiol (CBD) to treat epilepsy among children with Dravet syndrome. The study was in the New England Journal of Medicine in the spring of 2017.

Still, he bemoaned a dearth of material to offer guidance. While more studies are underway, he said, they mostly look at CBD and its effects on seizures and severe conditions.

See below (More Potent Pot) to see why CBD is being bred out of pot.

"There are still problematic issues of studying cannabis with kids. I won't counsel anyone from entering a study exposing someone to cannabis if they don't have severe conditions.... On the contrary, in the adult field, there are many more studies regarding cannabis either for pain related to arthritis, pain related to fibromyalgia or spasticity regarding multiple sclerosis."

In the meantime, many parents and adolescents are asking for cannabis prescriptions.

"I think that everyone right now is aware that cannabis is not a simple thing," said Belanger. "When someone starts using cannabis for a long period of time at an early age, it's probably at that time that the greater impact is likely. But at the same time, if your kids have seizures several times a day, what's the worse issue? It's kind of a tricky question for parents."

There are many other questions that need to be answered, like:

What happens to a kid who gets a steady stream of 2nd hand pot smoke?

What happens to a kid who eats a handful of marijuana edibles?

What does a one-time overdose on pot do to a small child?

How are police and social services supposed to deal with chronic pot users with small children?

What little we do know:

Medical journal calls for tighter rules on legal pot to protect young

Powerful pot strains put developing brains of young people at risk, CMAJ editorial says

CBC News 

A pot smoker has a joint at the annual 4/20 day, which promotes the use of marijuana, in Vancouver.

Cannabis shouldn't be used by young people, a medical journal editorial says. (David Horemans/CBC)

Marijuana legalization will harm the health of youth unless major changes to the proposed law are made to protect their developing brains, a medical journal editorial says.

Dr. Diane Kelsall, interim editor in chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, says Bill C-45 fails to safeguard vulnerable youth.

"There are a number of things in the legislation that are truly worrisome," Kelsall said in an interview. "If the intent is truly a public health approach and to protect our youth this legislation is not doing it."

Canadian young people ranked first for cannabis use in North America and Europe, with one-third saying they tried it at least once by age 15, the Canadian Pediatric Society says. 

Before the federal election, physicians said the right legislation to legalize pot might curb teen toking by restricting access.

The editorial takes issue with several aspects of the bill, which:

- Sets the minimum age to buy recreational marijuana at 18. Kelsall calls that too young given evidence suggesting that the human brain doesn't mature until about age 25.

- Allows people to grow pot at home, which Kelsall said increases the likelihood of diversion to young people.

- Lacks national standards for retail distribution.

- Lacks limits on potency of strains despite increased risk of harmful effects with higher-strength cannabis.

The guinea pigs are the kids

"From my perspective, from my colleagues' perspective, this legislation is being pushed through," Kelsall said. "We're just very worried that we're conducting a national experiment and unfortunately the guinea pigs are kids."

On Monday, Health Minister Jane Philpott was asked by reporters if she was prepared to change the age. 

"Provinces and territories will have the opportunity to address the age," Philpott said. "Our bill is not entirely through the legislative process. It is possible that it could change along the way."

Making a product legal does not mean it is advisable or recommended, Philpott said. 

Marijuana as a psychosis trigger

At the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, psychiatrist Romina Mizrah uses PET scanners to study how cannabis use changes brain function in young people with an average age of 20.

In young people who regularly use cannabis, preliminary evidence points to a reduction in an enzyme that regulates the endocannabinoid system that buffers key chemistry within the brain, said Mizrahi.

"There is some understanding at this point from epidemiological studies that certainly marijuana is a trigger," said Mizrahi, director of the Focus on Youth Psychosis Prevention program. "Marijuana use predates the psychosis. Whether it causes the psychosis, that's a different question and that we don't know."

I suspect there needs to be a susceptibility toward psychosis present, but that susceptibility might reside in a very large segment of the population, and, it might remain dormant through a person's entire life without a trigger like marijuana.

It may be possible in the future to determine whether or not a person is susceptible to psychosis and should therefore avoid pot like the plague. But it isn't possible now, nevertheless, we rush in anyway.

Studies using MRI scanners also show physical and functional changes in the developing brains of regular users that are associated with damage, Kelsall said.

More potent pot

Mike Stroh, 35, of Toronto says he's part of a generation who grew up smoking current strains of marijuana, which have been genetically selected to produce a powerful high, with THC levels of about 20 per cent. That's up from around seven per cent in the 1960s and '70s.       

And the methodology of raising the THC requires the reduction of CBD. It's CBD that may be helpful to those mentioned above with epilepsy or certain other conditions. CBD may also decrease the risk of contracting schizophrenia or other psychosis. So, of course, we remove it to make the THC more powerful. How insane are we? 

If we had the research, the government could restrict the amount of THC and ensure a certain level of CBD be present. This would reduce the risk of developing psychosis. But, our extreme left government cannot wait for such research, we must have pot legalized and we must have it now.

"I was into sports," Stroh recalled. "I wanted to do stuff at school, but I wouldn't make it to the practice, I wouldn't make it to the tryouts, because I was either up all night selling drugs, trying to get them, fall asleep in a drug-induced coma, and then wake up in a mess."

Mike Stroh with his kids. Stroh is now a mental-health advocate who wants to show recovery is possible. (Mike Stroh)

Stroh also lived with depression and anxiety and said he was never able to like himself. "That's the torment that brought me to my knees." He felt robbed of being himself and the opportunity for emotional maturity, cognitive development and professional opportunities.  

"Because marijuana doesn't bring you to your knees as quickly as other drugs may … there's this illusion that because you can be high and do things, it's not bad, so to speak."

Stroh is now a mental health advocate who draws on his personal and family experiences to educate.

"We need to teach kids how to take care of themselves so when they do feel anxious and do feel depressed, scared or … frustrated with life, because yes, that's a part of being a teenager, then they learn that there's so many things they can do to help themselves as opposed to use drugs."

Pot Heads Have Abnormally Low Blood-Flow in Their Brains

Marijuana users 'have abnormally low blood flow in every part of the brain - including Alzheimer's danger zones'

Researchers studied brain scans of 1,000 US marijuana users
They found cannabis users all had low blood flow in the hippocampus
The users also had significant restricted blood flow all over the brain
Hippocampus is key for memories, and is a ground zero for Alzheimer's

By Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com

Marijuana users have abnormally low blood flow in virtually every part of the brain, new scans reveal.

Sophisticated imaging of 1,000 cannabis users' brains found all of them had widespread restrictions or build-ups of blood flow.

Many had abnormal blood levels in areas affected by Alzheimer's disease, such as the hippocampus.

The findings, published in the latest Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, are an ominous warning as the United States rapidly embraces recreational and medical marijuana legalization.

It comes just weeks after the White House's surgeon general, Dr Vivek Gupta, warned legalization is moving faster than research.

    Health dangers? Sophisticated imaging of 1,000 cannabis users' brains found 1,000 marijuana
    users had widespread restrictions or build-ups of blood flow (file image)

The researchers at Amen Clinics analyzed data from a broad database including 26,268 patients across the US between 1995 and 2015.

The patients - from California, Washington, Virginia, Georgia and New York - all had complex treatment-resistant issues, and all underwent single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) - a sophisticated imaging study that evaluates blood flow and activity patterns while undergoing concentration tests.

One thousand of the patients were marijuana users. 

Comparing those patients' brain scans with 100 healthy controls, the researchers saw a stark difference in blood flow levels. 

Every marijuana user had significantly lower blood flow in the right hippocampus compared to the controls. 

Marijuana use is thought to interfere with memory formation by inhibiting activity in this part of the brain.

Shocked by findings

Co-author Dr Elisabeth Jorandby said even she was shocked by the findings, despite dealing with marijuana patients on a routine basis. 

'As a physician who routinely sees marijuana users, what struck me was not only the global reduction in blood flow in the marijuana users brains , but that the hippocampus was the most affected region due to its role in memory and Alzheimer's disease,' she said.

'Our research has proven that marijuana users have lower cerebral blood flow than non-users. 

In other words, they're stupider, but is that because they are marijuana users, or are they marijuana users because they are stupider?

'Second, the most predictive region separating these two groups is low blood flow in the hippocampus on concentration brain SPECT imaging. 

'This work suggests that marijuana use has damaging influences in the brain – particularly regions important in memory and learning and known to be affected by Alzheimer's.'

Dr George Perry, editor in chief of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease said: 'Open use of marijuana, through legalization, will reveal the wide range of marijuana's benefits and threats to human health.

'This study indicates troubling effects on the hippocampus that may be the harbingers of brain damage.'

Dr Daniel Amen, founder of Amen Clinics, said: 'Our research demonstrates that marijuana can have significant negative effects on brain function. 

'The media has given the general impression that marijuana is a safe recreational drug, this research directly challenges that notion. 

'In another new study just released, researchers showed that marijuana use tripled the risk of psychosis. Caution is clearly in order.'

And, as mentioned before, my own observations are that pot virtually stops the maturing process in regular users, such that if you start smoking pot regularly when you are 15, when you are 35 or 45 or 55, you will still act, talk, dress, think and behave like a 15 year old. I believe it is the reason why Michael Jackson never grew beyond being a little boy.

More Scary Research into the Effects of Marijuana on Teenagers
28% of 11-15 Year Olds Using Pot in Canada - Highest Rate in the World

The Astonishing Story of 2 Pot Paranoids Who Call Police on Themselves

2 young dopes with 20 pounds of weed get so paranoid they call cops on themselves

So the question is: Does pot make you stupid

or are you stupid to begin with for using it?

© East Idaho News / YouTube

Two men traveling from Nevada to Montana with over 20 pounds of marijuana got so incredibly stoned they handed themselves over to police in a bout of paranoia. The resulting recording obtained by East Idaho News had YouTubers in stitches.

The men – Leland Ayala-Doliente, 22, and Holland Sward, 23 – were driving across the Nevada-Idaho border almost exactly a year ago when fear struck so deep it completely paralyzed their ability to reason.

The following police call might be really bad publicity for marijuana, as things like this rarely happen outside of movies. The two decided they were being followed by undercover police after crossing over the border. They saw cars everywhere that they thought were being driven by cops just itching to bust them but were keeping their distance for some inexplicable reason.

And so, the two pulled over after exiting a highway in Rexburg. Parked at a gas station, they made a 911 call that will go down in history:

“Hi, uh, we’re the two dumb asses that got caught trying to bring some stuff through your border and all your cops are just driving around us like a bunch of jack wagons and I’d just like for you guys to end it. If you could help me out with that, we would like to just get on with it,” Ayala-Doliente told a puzzled dispatcher, who then had to collect his thoughts.

“You got caught doing what…?” the 911 dispatcher asks. They confess again that they got “spooked” trying to bring “some stuff” over the border. “And, yeah. A bunch of your buddies driving around in a bunch of civilian cars not wanting to pick us up. I don’t know what’s the deal. I was just wondering if you could help us out and just end it,” the young man continued.

They gave the police the address of the gas station, said that they weren’t carrying firearms and only had munchies for the road and a dog, which they were bringing back to its owner. The dispatcher listened patiently, taking down the details – even playing along a bit, probably realizing the state the two young potheads were in: the officer asked them about the guns, because the ‘undercover cops’ were “just curious.”

“Yeah, yeah. We tried walking away from the car a couple times and that didn’t work. We tried waving them down and that didn’t work, so I don’t know what’s going on here,” Ayala-Doliente continued.

The dispatcher then promised to send one of his nearby marked units to pick the pair up.

And the young stoners were real role models for how to get arrested without incident. Police say that on arrival the pair of dopeheads were up with their hands behind their heads. Sward was then said to address an officer with the words “We got caught and we’re surrendering.”

A hearing resulted in the following outcome: Sward got five years, amended to 30 days in jail for being a good sport; but Ayala-Doliente learned the hard way not to smoke weed, snort cocaine or swallow oxycodone hours before sentencing day: having tested positive for all of these things, he got one-and-a-half to eight years in prison.

This is not the first time marijuana has driven someone to stupidity, but YouTube comments ranged from quoting cult movies about weed to being happy for the dispatcher – for having had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring in “the stupidest person you’ve ever talked to.”

Others were more serious, however, reminding people that the Mormon-run Idaho is really intolerant of marijuana, and was therefore likely to charge the guys as much as it would have if they had got caught without handing themselves in.