Marijuana use connected to aggression [View all]

[True Earthling]

I've read comments here that pot makes one more laid back, mellow and less prone to aggression and violent behavior... studies say otherwise...

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- A Dutch study on the effects of marijuana use on teenagers suggests a connection with aggressive behavior.

The BBC reports researchers at the Trimbos Institute in the Netherlands found 17 percent of the 5,551 12 to 16-year-olds questioned had used marijuana within the past year. The study found the higher the frequency and amount of marijuana use, the more aggressive behavior the teenager showed.

A recent study by the British Journal of Psychiatry found similar results.

A 2005 report by the Schools Health Education Unit in Britain found 25 percent of 14- and 15-year-olds smoked pot.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2006/02/01/Study-Link-between-marijuana-aggression/UPI-28721138819619/#ixzz1vBESUXf0

Marijuana Use Linked to Risk of Psychotic Symptoms
Study Shows Association Between Development of Psychosis and Smoking Marijuana
By Denise Mann
WebMD Health News Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 1, 2011 -- Adolescents and young adults who smoke marijuana have an increased risk for experiencing psychotic symptoms, according to a new study.

The new findings appear online in the journal BMJ.

Researchers assessed marijuana use during a 10-year study of 1,923 participants aged 14 to 24 in Germany.

Those participants who had no psychotic symptoms and had never tried marijuana when the study began and then started using marijuana had nearly double the risk of experiencing psychotic symptoms in the future.

And those who used marijuana before start of the study and who continued use over the study period had an increased risk of persistent psychotic symptoms, the study shows.

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20110301/marijuana-use-linked-to-risk-of-psychotic-symptoms

Does smoking marijuana cause aggression?

In general, after using marijuana a person experiences a sedating effect, which makes the drug less likely to cause violence in users than other substances such as alcohol and stimulants (e.g., amphetamines and cocaine).

However, sometimes when marijuana is used it can cause fear, anxiety, panic or paranoia, which can result in an aggressive outburst. For most people, however, once the effects of the drug wear off, their behaviour gradually improves.

Studies show that violence can occur more often among people who use marijuana regularly, rather than those who use it occasionally or not at all. It is unclear why this is the case, but it may be because people with violent tendencies can also have a range of other psychosocial problems and are therefore more likely to use marijuana. marijuana is also part of the illegal drug market, which may increase the chances of violence occurring in some social interactions.

Why do people become abusive or aggressive?

Using marijuana can produce strange behaviour and reactions in people when they are intoxicated. These reactions can be similar to psychosis and paranoia and because of this, marijuana users may experience the following:

confusion – they misunderstand what is going on or what someone has said or done
feeling threatened or frightened
paranoia – they hear voices or think that people are out to get them

http://adai.washington.edu/marijuana/factsheets/aggression.htm