Not a week goes by without the publication of another study headlining the dangers of Cannabis. Flavour of the month is bound to be mental illness. It just won’t go away.

The British Colonialists started it in the mid 19th century and it hasn’t stopped yet. As brain imaging equipment and techniques improve, scientists are falling over themselves with theories and extrapolations of their findings about the effects of drugs and dependence on the brain.

Reading between the lines, there is no doubt in my mind that we still know close to nothing about human brain function. One thing these studies have in common is that they are more often than not funded by prohibition governments. The studies set out to prove what the required answer is. The other problem with studies of the brain is that, to a layman, they can be just one 10 syllable word after another. It’s a complex business sifting through the jargon and medical terminology.

It is as if the studies are made to be unreadable by anyone other than a neurosurgeon.

I use Reddit regularly, to look for articles of interest in the Cannabis field. It’s a worldwide forum and tends to offer news from unusual angles and sources. The Sub Reddits really get to the nitty gritty of just about any Cannabis subject you care to mention.

I’ve been following the posts of a Cannabis friendly microbiologist of late. He’s been sifting through a lot of scientific studies on his ‘Stoned Science Sundays’ and writing his comments in the margins. It’s fascinating, if you’re into that sort of thing. It gets quite heavy at times but his overall mission is to cut through the bull and dissect the theories for what they are – theories (and mostly based on studies in mice).

Have a look at this recent study that claims Cannabis consumption produces ‘abnormalities’ in parts of a young adult’s brain.

http://www.reddit.com/r/trees/comments/2h1hrt/stoned_science_sunday_this_is_your_brain_on_drugs/

The press would report this study as doom and gloom. Abnormalities of the brain? We know too little about the brain to know what’s normal or not, but as you know – the media is all powerful and so is the word ‘abnormality’

As a general rule of thumb, follow the money to see who funded the study. It’s more than likely a Government because Schedule 1 drugs are difficult, nigh on impossible, to obtain for studies by private institutions and individuals.

This study was found to be ‘relatively thorough and non-biased’, but on 20 cohorts this means that the study was only after more funding for a bigger trial. Find an abnormality and start the media machine.

After all, ‘more studies (always) need to be done’.

Don’t you just love prohibition?