Marijuana vs SSRI’s, Which is Safer?

This item by Cynthia A. Janak is particularly relevant to New Zealand’s drug policy consultation where SSRI’s are under scrutiny and cannabis prohibition “Murders” are the order of the day.

Murder accused Daniel Moore awaits the outcome of summing up and jury deliberations regarding the hand less body case of his Dad’s best friend, Tony Stanlake.

This one murder is one too many. I knew Daniels Dad. Daniel is the same age as my son.

New Zealand has the highest per capita consumption rate in the OECD alongside the highest arrest rate per/k in the world. Is is no small wonder that the 200 tonnes of cannabis consumed by some 500,000 NZ’ers every year is grown by someone. What Mr Moore Jr appears to have been addicted too is the unique product of prohibition, the money, greed, power, status AND thrill.

We, by our silence that resembles stupidity are architects of this dysfunction.

What I am going to do today is give you a comparison of different news reports that deal with the murder of an individual or many individuals because of marijuana or SSRI use. So far I have spent several hours on this topic. To my dismay I did not find any articles where a person who just smoked marijuana picked up a gun and murdered innocent people. What I did find were many articles were people were murdered because of a marijuana buy or because they were a dealer.
….
With the evidence that I had acquired in doing this research I did a comparison for the risk of murder by the users of marijuana and SSRI’s. My conclusion is that marijuana is safer for the average individual use. SSRI’s are dangerous to the health and safety of society as a whole and have the potential to create because of use an individual capable of mass murder.
…..
Because of my findings I feel it is safe to say that the prohibition on the usage of marijuana has created a black market atmosphere of criminal activity between the United States and surrounding countries because of illegal transportation and selling of marijuana by gangs and other gangster types.
see Cynthia A. Janak – Marijuana vs. SSRIs: which is safer

Drug labels must carry suicide alert
Regulator issues safety ruling on all anti-depressant medicines sold here By Tom PrendevilleSunday February 24 2008 All brands of antidepressant for sale in Ireland will have to carry a warning that the side-effects may include suicide. After a review carried out by the US Food and Drugs Agency, 33 products which are also widely prescribed in Ireland were deemed to carry a significant risk and merit the warning.The US Food and Drug Administration analysed 295 studies of antidepressants involving 77,000 people who were on the medication, and found that the risk of suicide in young people was almost twice that of adults aged over-25.

Consider this: for just one month, this month so far!!

Suicide
Antidepressant
2008-02-01
Iraq
Soldier from Nevada Kills Self in Iraq
Suicide-By-Cop
Antidepressant
Withdrawal
2008-02-01
Australia
Man in Recent Withdrawal Kills Self
Psychiatric Symptoms
Chantix
2008-02-03
Global
FDA Issues Warning on Chantix: Suicidal Behaviors & Other Psychiatric Symptoms

Suicide
Paxil
2008-02-03
California
13 Year Old
Kills Self: Lawsuit: Dismissed Because of State Law
Violence/Bizarre Behavior
Antidepressants
2008-02-05
England
Three CEOs Become Either Violent or Exhibit Bizarre Behavior on Antidepressants
Osteoporosis
SSRIs
2008-02-06
Global
++Double The Risk for Osteoporosis for Those on SSRIs
Hospitalization
Antidepressants
2008-02-06
California
Actress
Who Promoted Effexor in Cities Around the U.S. Is in the Hospital: Meds Not Working
Violence
Antidepressant
2008-02-07
Massachusetts
14 Year Old Boy Stabs Police Officer in Chest

Suicide
Prozac
2008-02-07
England
Young Woman Kills Herself
Suicidal Behavior
Celexa & Wellbutrin
2008-02-07
Oregon
Police Officer Engages in Suicidal Behavior
Vehicular Homicide
Antidepressants
2008-02-07
Georgia
Woman Taking Three Antidepressants Kills Two in Car Crash: No Alcohol Involved

Stabbing
Celexa
2008-02-07
Massachusetts
College
Coed Stabs Ex-Boyfriend: Serious Injuries

Violence
Med For Depression
2008-02-07
Ireland
Man Smashes the Windows in Police Station: Uses Hatchet

Death
Antidepressant
2008-02-07
Massachusetts
25 Year Old Woman Dies of Complications From her Antidepressant

Harassment
Prozac
2008-02-13
England
Woman Taken To Court For Abusing Taxi Driver
Violence
Prozac
2008-02-13
Minnesota
Prozac Made Woman Feel Violent
Injury To Child
Cymbalta
2008-02-14
New York
Man Critcally Injures Toddler
Suicide-By-Cop
Antidepressant
Withdrawal
2008-02-14
Florida Police Forced to Shoot Armed Man
Suicide Attempt
Prozac
2008-02-14
New Mexico
Woman Attempts to Kill Herself
Assault
Med For Depression
2008-02-14
England
Man Assaults Club Doorwoman
School Shooting
Prozac WITHDRAWAL
2008-02-15
Illinois
** 6 Dead: 15 Wounded: Perpetrator Was in Withdrawal from Med & Acting Erratically
Suicide
Wellbutrin
2008-02-18
Arizona
Woman’s Death Ruled Suicide by Overdose
Suicide Attempt
Antidepressant
2008-02-18
Michigan
Judge Attempts Suicide: Also Involved Pain Medication Interaction
Delusions
Prozac
Withdrawal
2008-02-19
Illinois
Woman Hear’s Son’s Voice & Cries, “I Am Jesus”
Suicide Attempt
Effexor
2008-02-19
California
Woman Overdoses On Efexor
Murder
Med For Depression
2008-02-20
California
Five Dead Including SWAT Officer: 20 Year Old Kills Family
Suicide

Med For Depression
2008-02-20
Idaho
16
Year Old Kills Self at High School: Lockdown by Police
Murder Attempt-Suicide
Lexapro
2008-02-21
Ohio
Man Attempts to Kill Wife: Suceeds in Killing Self
Assault
Paxil
2008-02-21
England
69 Year Old Man Assaults his Physician
Suicides
Antidepressants
2008-02-24
Ireland
Ireland Warns of Suicide On All Antidepressant Labels For All Ages
Murder/Suicide
Antidepressants
2008-02-24
Iraq/Illinois
Soldier
on Antidepressant for PTSD Kills Wife & Self
Ineffectiveness
Antidepressants
2008-02-25
Global
Antidepressants
Are Ineffective: PLoS Medicine

Ketamine in Class C? SSRI’s should be Class A and controlled at the border! (and going by this list keep them well away from aircraft passengers!)

Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Social Ecologist ‘at large’
ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

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Cannabis, SSRI’s and Depression

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-12/mu-nad121305.php
Contact: Ian Poppleian.popple@muhc.mcgill.ca 514-843-1560 McGill University

New antidepressant drug increases ‘brain’s own cannabis’

Researchers have discovered a new drug that raises the level of endocannabinoids–the ‘brain’s own cannabis’–providing anti-depressant effects. The new research published in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), suggests the new drug, called URB597, could represent a safer alternative to cannabis for the treatment of pain and depression, and open the door to new and improved treatments for clinical depression–a condition that affects around 20% of Canadians.

In preclinical laboratory tests researchers found that URB597 increased the production of endocannabinoids by blocking their degradation, resulting in measurable antidepressant effects. “This is the first time it has been shown that a drug that increases endocannabinoids in the brain can improve your mood,” says the lead investigator Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, an MUHC and Université de Montréal researcher.

Endocannabinoids are chemicals released by the brain under certain conditions, like exercise; they stimulate specific brain receptors that can trigger feelings of well-being. The researchers, which included scientists from the University of California at Irvine, were able to measure serotonin and noradrenaline activity as a result of the increased endocannabinoids, and also conducted standard experiments to gauge the ‘mood’ of their subjects and confirm their findings.
“The results were similar to the effect we might expect from the use of commonly prescribed antidepressants, which are effective on only around 30% of the population,” explains Dr. Gobbi. “Our discovery strengthens the case for URB597 as a safer, non-addictive, non-psychotropic alternative to cannabis for the treatment of pain and depression and provides hope for the development of an alternate line of antidepressants, with a wider range of effectiveness.”
Cannabis has been known for its anti-depressant and pain-relief effects for many years, but the addictive nature and general health concerns of cannabis use make this drug far from ideal as a medical treatment. The active ingredient in cannabis–THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)–stimulates cannabinoid receptors.

Funding for this study was provided by the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec (FRSQ), the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation (CPRF), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and an MUHC fellowship.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10474334

A drug that boosts levels of the brain’s own “bliss” chemical can help reverse symptoms of depression in rats, US and Italian researchers reported yesterday.
The drug helps maintain high levels of a compound called anandamide, named after the Sanskrit word for “bliss”, which is chemically similar to the active ingredient in marijuana.

Opinion feedback to NZH:

WHEREAS SSRI’s have been responsible for grotesque anti-social behaviours through to suicides attributable to the drug in question. (some 28 deaths in one month)
Prof Nutt (addictions researcher, SSRI specialist speaking at CHCH School of medicine. Feb 2008 ) linked cannabinoid receptors ‘all through the brain’ and how little we know of its actions. Yet debate surrounding the required research and that we dont have an adequate ‘radio label’ to track cannabis actions at receptor level constrains what we could know.

All indications from both anecdote and research are that cannabis puts a smile on your face, but more importantly provides ‘a sense of wellness’ and without with the contraindications of SSRI’s. I will have more on my blog at http://mildgreens.blogspot.com later today including to links to the research that both validates NZH earlier published matter and demonstrates the imbalance give to big pharma in its defence of its selective published research. /Blair

http://www.letfreedomgrow.com/cmu/depression_and_cannabis.htm
Patients themselves are often the best judges of whether or not cannabis helps relieve the symptoms of depression. A poorly educated or narrow-minded physician may think any use of cannabis to be a substance abuse related aspect of depression. More enlightened psychiatrists (i.e. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical School) appreciate the often beneficial aspects of cannabis therapy. [Cannabis and Depression. Jay R. Cavanaugh, Ph.D.]

Blair Anderson
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com

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