For psychiatric patients, a link between marijuana and violent behavior
Recreational drugs can wreak havoc on anyone’s life. But for those with mental illness, smoking pot could lead to aggressive behavior—and put their loved ones at risk.
According to a new study published in September in Frontiers in Psychiatry, adults who persistently smoke marijuana following a psychiatric hospitalization are 2½ times more likely to commit violent acts, including assault, battery, or threats with a weapon, than those who do not use the drug.
The study included 1,136 patients from ages 18 to 40 who received five follow-up appointments within a year after discharge from a psychiatric hospital. Not only did the researchers find that cannabis use put these patients at an increased risk for violent behavior, but they also discovered the risk is greater than for those using other mood-altering substances. “An interesting feature of our results is that the association between persistent cannabis use and violence is stronger than that associated with alcohol or cocaine,” Alexandre Dumais, the lead researcher, said in a statement.
The results support neuroimaging studies that show chronic marijuana users develop deficits in the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain involved in inhibiting impulsive behavior, the researchers said. Problems with the prefrontal cortex have been correlated with antisocial personality and psychopathic traits.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reviewed numerous studies on the adverse effects of cannabis use. They found that short-term effects may include impaired memory, decreased problem-solving ability, hallucinations, and delusions. Possible long-term effects include breathing problems, increased heart rate (which may raise the risk of a heart attack), onset or worsening symptoms of mental illness, depression, anxiety, and brain and behavioral problems for unborn and nursing babies whose mothers use the drug.
by Julie Borg in World Magazine
