Question:
The Schizophrenia Fellowship says a government report
into the mental health effects of cannabis
is hopefully a sign that more work will be done in the
area. "Parliament's Health Committee says it has found
treatment services for people with drug related mental
illness is inadequate and more funding is needed. Cathie Morton of the Schizophrenia Fellowship says she
welcomes the committee's findings as they have long been
advocating for better services.
She says she's pleased the report has acknowledged the
adverse mental health effects of cannabis - such as its
ability to trigger psychosis and limiting the recovery of
those with mental illnesses. "
Sheesh I wonder where the Schizophrenia fellowship got these silly
ideas from?
Answer:
Its a very good point too isn't it? We don't have adequate health
services already, let alone the ability to cope with the increased
traffic that would undoubtedly occur if cannabis was decriminalised
and cheaper.
They have drastically cut the budget of the alcohol and drug
rehabilitation programmes in Wellington this year also.
In the paper today it says "the committee drew heavily on the work of
Wayne Hall of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, who was
commissioned to report on scientific research in this area ... "Hall and the Health Funding Authority pointed pointed out that cannabis
should be viewed as a lesser threat to cognifitive functioning than
alcohol."
Er, that's only if you consider that the law is actually a significant
deterrent to cannabis use - and the evidence suggests that it isn't.The
public health unit at the Auckland School of Medicine conducted a major
survey on drug use in NZ in 1991-2. They found that (a) most of the
people who have ever smoked marijuana don't do so any more (b) very few
respondents (<10% I think) cited the law as the reason they stopped. The
majority stopped because they didn't like it any more. One of the major reasons the committe wanted the law examined is the
belief that a change in the legal status of the drug would encourage
those having problems with the drug to come forward sooner and more
readily for treatment. It's an argument that public health officials
have been making for years. It's just that it suited quite a few people
not to listen. Depending on which side of the iceberg you look of course. The cost is a major deterrant to cannabis use however.... People seem to get the money to buy it though. The police don't have the
resources to investigate burglaries (which seem to fund a lot of drug use)
but do manage to get the funds to mount a helicopter assault on cannabis
plants (which raises the cost of marijuana). I believe that cannabis and
other drugs were legalised and controlled, drug crime would be drastically
reduced, or even eliminated. Raising drug prices does not reduce use but
does increase crime. Well the Lancet article, recently reported about cannabis, was quoting old
superseded research, as I showed. The Lancet may be blindly pro-cannabis.
When we note how Pharmac has been risking lives by stopping funding
effective cholesterol control and replacing it with sham we begin to
suspect ulterior motives. I would like to know just how the Committee's
time was really spent.
So let's have their files on the troubles they know of.
I think the Lancet article is pro common-sense and anti-hysteria
myself,,,,,,,, Read it for yourself at:
http://www.thelancet.com/newlancet/reg/issues/vol352no9140/seminar161... They have not replaced it with a sham, they have replaced expensive
statins with a cheaper type. Some say the cheaper one is not as good,
but this isn't what the studies say.... I know this isn't true. There are plenty of people who would use
cannabis if they could afford it, but they cannot..... Bo I think their is alot of hypocracy in what drugs are legal and
illegal. The legal drugs, gambling and alcohol , do much damage in
our society o here we go again...when will you people realise ANYONE who wants to use
cannabis in new zealand is doing so NOW...decrim or legaisation will NOT
increase usage....! and if we put MASS profit driven suppliers out of a job there may actually
be less cannabis?.........and i cant understand y the govt supports tinnie
houses via a black market who will sell to children......do u?
get real and make it snappy sheeeesh
