Cannabis Study House - NORML Weekly News in Audio 2007.11.8

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Weekly News in Audio

Novmber 8, 2007

Pot Use Associated With Enhanced Cognitive Performance In Schizophrenics

Denver Voters Approve Pot ‘Deprioritization’ Measure

Teen Pot Use Not Associated With Psychosocial Problems, Study Says

Sydney, New South Wales:
Pot Use Associated With Enhanced Cognitive Performance In Schizophrenics

Cannabis use is associated with enhanced cognitive functioning in schizophrenic patients, according to clinical trial data published this month in the journal Schizophrenia Research.

Investigators at the University of Sydney assessed the impact of cannabis use on neuropsychological performance in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Sixty male schizophrenics and 17 healthy controls were recruited for the study. Among the schizophrenic group, 44 participants met the DSM-IV criteria for "lifetime cannabis abuse/dependence."

Investigators reported, "[W]ithin the schizophrenic group, a larger portion of participants with lifetime cannabis abuse/dependence demonstrated better performance than those without lifetime abuse/dependence. … Frequency and recency of cannabis use were also associated with better neuropsychological performance, predominantly in the domains of attention/processing speed and executive functions." (Executive functions are defined as a set of cognitive skills that are necessary to plan, monitor and execute a sequence of goal-directed complex actions.)

It has been estimated that cognitive dysfunctions are present in up to 80 percent of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The Sydney study is the second clinical trial this year to report an association between cannabis use and improved cognitive performance in schizophrenic patients. In May, German researchers reported in the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry that subjects who reported using marijuana prior to their first psychotic episode showed improved cognitive performance on certain tests compared to non-users.

A 2005 study by investigators at Manchester Metropolitan University in Britain previously reported that schizophrenic patients who consumed cannabis prior to disease onset possessed greater cognitive skills after ten years than did non-users.

Denver, CO:
Denver Voters Approve Pot ‘Deprioritization’ Measure

For the second time in three years, Denver voters have approved a municipal ordinance liberalizing local marijuana laws.

On Tuesday, 57 percent of Denver voters approved Question 100, which directs the Denver Police Department and the City Attorney's Office to make activities related to the investigation, citation, and/or arrest of adult cannabis users their lowest law enforcement priority. The measure also appoints an eleven-member "Marijuana Policy Review Panel" to monitor all local police activity pertaining to cannabis law enforcement.

The initiative’s proponents, Citizens for a Safer Denver, proposed the measure after local law enforcement failed to abide by a 2005 voter initiative that sought to abolish civil and criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by citizens age 21 and older. Despite passage of the initiative, non-felony pot arrests rose from fewer than 2,200 in 2005 to approximately 2,500 in 2006.

Passage of the latest initiative "should change things in Denver," SAFER Executive Director Mason Tvert said. "If the city carries on with marijuana arrests, they are going to be breaking the law."

Also on Tuesday, voters in Hailey, Idaho approved a similar ‘deprioritization’ ordinance. Hailey voters also endorsed two additional ballot questions authorizing the legal use of medical marijuana and industrial hemp. Details regarding the implementation of all three measures will be determined by a community oversight committee.

Lausanne, Switzerland:
Teen Pot Use Not Associated With Psychosocial Problems, Study Says

Teens who use cannabis do not report more frequent psychosocial problems compared to young people who abstain from the drug, according to survey data published this month in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Investigators at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland analyzed survey data from over 5,200 students age 16 to 20. Of these, 455 subjects reported using only cannabis, 1,703 subjects reported using both cannabis and tobacco, and 3,105 subjects said they abstained from both drugs.

Compared with those subjects who reported using both substances, cannabis-only youth were more likely to receive good grades (77.5 to 66.6 percent), play sports (85.5 to 66.7 percent), and live with both parents (78.2 to 68.3 percent). Cannabis-only youth were also less likely to have been drunk in the past 30 days (40.5 to 55 percent) or have used other illegal drugs (8.4 to 17.9 percent).

Compared to those subjects who abstained from pot and tobacco, teens who reported using cannabis only were more likely to participate in sports and have a good relationship with friends. Cannabis-only youth received similar grades compared to those who did not smoke pot, but were more likely to report having skipped class. Youth who abstained from pot were more likely to report having a strong relationship with their parents; however, cannabis-only youth did not report suffering from higher rates of depression.

Investigators concluded: "Cannabis-only adolescents show better functioning than those who use tobacco. Compared with abstainers, they are more socially driven and do not seem to have psychosocial problems at a higher rate."

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