Scientists have found that marijuana use at a young age raises the risk of developing psychotic symptoms later in life, such as schizophrenia, delusions and paranoia, and the risk was even higher in those who were already genetically vulnerable to developing it. 

Published in the British Medical Journal  by scientists from Germany and the Netherlands, the study followed 2,437 young people ages 14-24 years over four years. They were divided into two groups: those, who were or were not predisposed to develop psychosis, and outside effects such as gender, socioeconomic status, living conditions, and the use of other drugs, tobacco, or alcohol were considered.

The study found also that those who were more genetically vulnerable to psychosis were not more likely to try the drug, thus debunking the self-medication hypothesis

This important study is the first to track the effects of marijuana use instead of examining the former habits of those already suffering from psychosis. Its findings come as the battle over the legalization of marijuana and the fight for use of “medical” marijuana is reaching a fever pitch. 

Ten states (Washington, Montana, Oregon, Nevada, California, Colorado, Alaska, Hawaii, Vermont, Maine) have legalized “medical” marijuana and one state limits penalties (Maryland); Arizona allows the use of “medical” marijuana but doctors are not prescribing it because of federal laws. 

On Monday, June 6, 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 in Gonzales v. Raich that the federal government could still render the possession of marijuana illegal in states that have legalized it for medical purposes.  This ruling does not overturn state laws legalizing “medical” marijuana, but means that those who use it for medicinal purposes could still face legal action by federal agencies. 

Some may argue that the federal government should not have become involved but as CWA’s chief counsel, Jan LaRue, says, “Congress is the one that controls drugs and what drugs can move through interstate commerce.  Congress can regulate things that are entirely intrastate because of the aggregate affect it has on interstate commerce.”

This ruling affects the Compassionate Use Act passed by California voters in 1996 in order to allow patients to be prescribed marijuana as a painkiller. Yet, this law, not surprisingly, is easily misused.  In March, a Fox News producer, Chris Spinder, as a part of the O’Reilly Factor, obtained a Los Angeles doctor’s recommendation to allow him to buy “medical” marijuana.  He did not undergo an examination but paid the doctor $250 to fill out paperwork that enabled him to purchase marijuana at his leisure--even with no medical problems. 

After this Supreme Court decision and the release of the medical study, marijuana supporters will have an even tougher uphill battle to legalize it in any form, medical or not.  What its supporters fail to report is that, according to the lead scientist on the study, Jim van Os, black-market marijuana has greatly varying levels of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the compound that releases dopamine in the brain, which is pleasurable at first but can later lead to paranoia or hallucinations, some of the symptoms of psychosis.  This means that the marijuana of today is not necessarily the marijuana of the 1960s, with THC levels being around 15-20 percent instead of 2-3 percent, according to Van Os.  This fact only adds to the harmfulness of the drug and the importance to keep its use illegal.

President Bush revealed in his 2002 East Room remarks on his National Drug Control Policy that he seeks to cut drug use by 10 percent within two years and 25 percent within 5 years.  In order to achieve this goal, we need to continue to educate ourselves on this harmful drug and pray for the young people of our great country who have succumbed to marijuana’s false promises.  We cannot stand by calmly and apathetically while our children, the future leaders of our country, are led on by deceitful and empty reassurances that marijuana is not harmful.

Joanna Grey, a student at Peace College in Raleigh, North Carolina, is an intern with CWA’s Ronald Reagan Memorial Internship Program.