Cannabis increases car-crash risk Bundle of cannabis The study confirms the link between cannabis and crashes Heavy cannabis users are 10 times more likely to be injured, or to injure others, in car accidents, researchers have found.
The scientists from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, say their study is the first proof that there is a link between using cannabis and accidents.
Previously, there was only laboratory research and post mortem evidence to suggest a connection.
UK experts said the Addiction study showed more education was needed.
Doctors had believed there was a link between cannabis use and accidents for some time, but had been unable to prove a connection.
'Target heavy users'
The New Zealand team surveyed 571 drivers of cars involved in crashes in which at least one occupant was hospitalised or killed and a control group of 588 drivers randomly selected from cars driving in Auckland.
Public information campaigns would be a good idea Professor Robert West, editor of Addiction
They were asked if they had taken cannabis in the three hours prior to the crash or survey and were also asked about their use of cannabis over the previous 12 months.
It was found that habitual cannabis users were 9.5 times more likely to be involved in crashes, with 5.6% of people who crashed having taken the drug compared to 0.5% of the control group.
Their risk of an accident was increased whether or not they had used cannabis immediately before the accident.
However the researchers said more research was needed to understand how cannabis use was linked to risk-taking behaviour, and how other factors - such as the person also using alcoho - might affect.
The researchers, led by Dr Stephanie Blows, said: "The prevalence of self-reported recent cannabis use in the Auckland driving population was less than 1%, and those who did use marijuana prior to driving were highly likely to be habitual users.
Smoking Marijuana Smoking Marijuana May Dim Memory Years of Heavy Use May Affect Some Mental Skills, Study Shows By Miranda Hitti WebMD Medical News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
March 13, 2006 -- Smoking marijuana may gradually fade verbal memory and other mental skills, according to a study in Neurology.
"The finding of this study is that heavy, frequent, long-term marijuana use (more than 15 years of use on average) may subtly affect certain cognitive abilities, especially the ability to verbally learn and remember new information and information-processing speed," researcher Lambros Messinis, PhD, tells WebMD in an email.
"However, we do not yet definitely know if these deficits are reversible after longer periods of abstinence from marijuana," Messinis adds, calling the findings "still controversial."
Messinis works in Patras, Greece at the University Hospital Patras. Marijuana Users Studied
Messinis' study included people who were 17-49 years old. Participants were split into three groups based on pot use:
* 20 people had smoked at least four marijuana "joints" per week for at least 10 years. * 20 people had smoked pot at least four days per week for at least five years. * 24 people had smoked pot 1-20 times, but not in the last two years.
None had used any other illicit drugs in the last year. If they had used other illicit drugs, they hadn't done so for more than three months of their entire lives. Mental Skills Tested
After abstaining from pot for at least 24 hours -- and providing a urine sample confirming no other drug use -- participants took several tests of mental skills.
In a memory test, participants heard two lists of 15 words and tried to recall which words had been on the first list. Other tests checked attention and reaction times.
Participants with heavy, long-term marijuana use fared worst. For instance, here are the memory test's average resul
The worlds on fire its more then I can handle Ill tap into the water try and bring my share Try to bring more, more then I can handle Bring it to the table Bring what I am able
Hearts are worn in these dark ages You're not alone in these stories pages The light has fallen amongst the living and the dying And Ill try to hold it in Yeah Ill try to hold it in
I watch the heavens but I find no calling Something I can do to change whats coming Stay close to me while the skys falling I don't wanna be left alone don't wanna be alone
Hearts break hearts mend love still hurts Visions clash planes crash still theres talk of saving souls still colds closing in on us
We part the veil on our killer sun Stray from the straight line on this short run The more we take the less we become The fortune of one man means less for some
DO NOT COME IN TO WORK TODAY,
(today is sunday)
I will cover your usual sunday shift from 6pm-10pm,
but you have to come in for me on monday from 5pm-10pm.
I have to leave town on monday morning, and won't be back untill wednesday
