Marijuana linked to psychosis

The medical journal The Lancet is publishing a study today that suggests marijuana use may lead to psychosis. A link to the AP story can be found here. A couple of things worth noting - there are a certain percentage of people who smoke pot. There are a certain percentage who are psychotic. That the two percentages may overlap does not indicate a causal relationship. A large percentage of serial killers drank milk as a child - this doesn't mean drinking milk causes you to kill people. In the middle of the article is a giant ad for Seroquel, an anti-psychotic drug that sponsored the web page. What really stands out, though, is the last paragraph - the continued effort of the pharmaceutical industry to disparage a drug that grows free in the ground. At least, that's what the voices in my head tell me...

"Two of the authors of the study were invited experts on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Cannabis Review in 2005. Several authors reported being paid to attend drug company-sponsored meetings related to marijuana, and one received consulting fees from companies that make antipsychotic medications."