Is Nicotine the dark horse of Cannabis psychosis?

Cannabis psychosis studies have a major flaw by not including the potential brain damaging effects of nicotine. Also, there is a close correlation between mental illness levels in both tobacco and Cannabis users. This needs to be explained.





Many Cannabis smokers also include tobacco in their mix, and consequently high nicotine levels occur due to the deep inhalation smoking pattern typical in Cannabis consumption. Toxicological research has found that nicotine severely damages a portion of brain in rodents, the fasciculus retroflexus (Carlson et al 2000, Carlson et al 2001, Abreu-Villaca et al 2005), which corresponds with the part of the brain responsible for behavourial control in humans. There is no indication that Cannabis alone causes this type of brain damage. The underlying brain damage caused by nicotine may explain some of the mental disorders ascribed to Cannabis users (Patton et al 2002).





There is a need to clarify the situation regarding the role of nicotine in so-called Cannabis psychosis with further research, as health advice could include specific warnings as to the potential psychiatric risks of smoking tobacco mixed with Cannabis.





A hypothesis regarding nicotine being a major underlying causal factor in so-called Cannabis psychosis reads as follows. Please comment.





First part:


That high, sudden dose of nicotine associated with tobacco and Cannabis co-consumption may cause significant degeneration of the fasciculus retroflexus (FR) in humans. The sudden high nicotine doses in humans鈥?may cause an axon excitotoxicological response via nicotinic receptors in the FR.





Discussion: FR degeneration by the nicotine is proven in rat studies (Carlson 2000, Carlson 2001, Abreu-Villaca 2005). It鈥檚 uncertain as to how these nicotine toxicology studies may apply to humans. However, damage to FR could explain high rates of depression in tobacco smoking youth (Goodman et al 2000).





The 2nd part:


That degeneration of the fasciculus retroflexus in humans (refer to first part), resulting from high, sudden doses of tobacco co-consumed with Cannabis, could result in reduced higher brain control over behaviour (Carlson 2000, Carlson 2001). Cannabis then exaggerates any negative emotional states due to the underlying brain damage caused by nicotine, especially in some predisposed individuals.





Discussion: the question arises - is nicotine brain damage a reason for the higher incidence of depression in tobacco smokers. Research shows a 4-fold increase in adolescent depression after a year of moderate to heavy tobacco use (Goodman 2000).





But how鈥檚 this for a coincidence: Cannabis research (Patton 2002) showed a comparable 2 to 5 fold increased risk of depression by age 20 in Cannabis smokers. Does this comparable figure reflect co-use of tobacco by Cannabis users - rather than Cannabis itself being the cause of depression?





But the coincidences between tobacco and Cannabis go further: The level of schizophrenics who have been Cannabis users is up to 80% in some cases. This correlation is given as a reason to be concerned about Cannabis use. However, 75 to 90% of schizophrenics also smoke tobacco.





Is it a coincidence that mental illness levels are similar with tobacco and Cannabis smokers?





Have Cannabis researchers overlooked nicotine as the dark horse in so-called Cannabis psychosis?|||Firstly, I'd like to congratulate you on a fascinating question... unfortunately I don't think I can answer it. However, I'd like to question the following:





"Cannabis then exaggerates any negative emotional states due to the underlying brain damage caused by nicotine, especially in some predisposed individuals."





Surely that should read "ONLY in some predisposed individuals." - I've suffered from massive bouts of depression since I was a kid, culminating in suicidal tendencies when I was about 14, which funnily enough is about a year after I started smoking (tobacco) - I tried cannabis for the first time at about 16, and started smoking regularly (like, every day or at least 4-5 days a week) when I was about 19. I'm now 27 and I smoke about 1/8oz per week - I tend to mix my joints about 60% tobacco (or alternative smoking mix) and 40% weed, but I don't smoke tobacco on its own any more. In the last 8 years, I have only had relapses of depression during periods where I couldn't get hold of any weed (what with it being illegal, and with me being an irregularly working self-employed musician with little cash, it can be tricky).





Some would say that if I hadn't smoked weed in the first place, I wouldn't get depressed at all and that now my depression has become a withdrawal symptom, however I know this is not the case as I have a history of mental illness massively predating my weed smoking. For me, this goes to show that THC (the active ingredient in cannabis) affects different people in different ways. Personally, I can't help but believe there's a good chance I would've offed myself by now if I hadn't been a stoner. As it happens, I'm very happy, getting married in June, have a 3 year old son, 2 dogs and managed to get a first class degree in Music, majoring in production. I'm currently building a recording studio. So screw all the nay-sayers. I'm as motivated and happy as I ever have been.|||Quote, Mr Mackey "Drugs are bad. You shouldn't do drugs. If you do them, you're bad, mmmkay?