I can't check the link you posted because it keeps freezing my computer (i hate pdfs), but i'm going to disagree. Most of the studies re: pot and schizophrenia were really badly done and in fact, more recent studies show pot can actually help reduce the effects of schizophrenia. Plus there is growing evidence that it is beneficial for a wide-range of mental disorders - not just the better-known pain-relief it provides for sufferers of MS, AIDs, general chronic pain, etc. You might want to have a look at this chapter from Substance Abuse: A comprehensive textbook, 4th ed.:

http://www.cannabiscoalition.ca/info/Lowinson_Ch15-Grinspoon-Bak.pdf

(Also a stupid pdf)

Just to be clear, what exactly are you disagreeing with?

Thanks for the link, I read their discussion of the health effects. Note that I am not trying to insist that it demonstrably causes psychotic disorders or that it can't provide any kind of benefit. What I'm objecting to is people who've made no effort to understand the evidence boldly proclaiming that it's harmless or that there's no scientific evidence that it could cause any harm. (In fact, I'd encourage consideration of the linked article if you're interested in this as it's a comprehensive analysis, published in Lancet, no less, of the data from a large number of studies and I think it provides a very balanced analysis of what can and cant' be inferred from the data.)

I think that a reasonable argument can be made that its potential benefits in some medical cases outweigh its risks for other problems, e.g., in the cases you mention, I wasn't suggesting otherwise.

I will say that from my limited experience with it and my examination of the literature, I'd very strongly discourage its use for anyone with any kind of family history of schizophrenia. That's not because I feel I can confidently assert that it will trigger it, but because given what we know the decision theory on this is pretty clear.

Oh, and note, that it's possible that pot could in fact be effective in reducing the effects of schizophrenia and still be a risk factor for developing a psychotic illness.

I only scanned the article linked in your blog posting and did not immediately find whether there was discussion as to the co-occurence of mental disorders and drug use (well, drug dependency to be exact.) I've heard the number is as high as 80%+. That is, it would seem that pot use and mental disorder may be linked, but not be causes for each other. And the sequence in which they are revealed (i.e., pot first and then mental disorder or vice versa) may very likely vary from person to person.

That said, I don't think pot smoking is a good idea, regardless. And I concur that government should have a very limited role as to people's own behaviors unless they directly impact another person's and the other person does not have adequate recourse without goverment intervention. Another thing that is odd to me is that alcohol is legal but pot is not. I don't imbibe in either. But what logic is there for the distinction other than the fact that the government cannot "un-ring the bell"/reverse itself as to allowing alcohol to be legal -- even if it wanted to. CB#1