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Comment by DaveExeter | Hacker News Reader

>Several commonly available (some decriminalized) drugs can induce schizophrenia.

I don't think this is true. Some drugs can have effects that superficially resemble schizophrenia and then doctors mistakenly "diagnose" schizophrenia.

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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30442059/

"Cannabis use doubles the risk of developing psychosis in vulnerable people."

That's just the thing. Psychosis can be a symptom of mental illness or it can be a symptom of smoking cannabis.

I think the question is whether or not smoking cannabis increases your future risk of psychosis. If it does, then it ought to be highly controlled, if not outright banned. If it does not, but can cause psychotic like symptoms during its use, then regulations should be made that it can only be indulged in in appropriate places.

By that logic we should ban peanuts, or at least highly control them.

No. drugs like LSD can cause schizophrenia after they are stopped or even after one dose in susceptible individuals.

And I think that is the myth.

I can tell you from personal experience that's not a myth. (Not me, personally, my immediate family member).

One LSD trip triggered permanent psychosis.

Umm...are you sure? Are you sure the LSD triggered "permanent psychosis"?

Yes, this is what I personally witnessed happen to an immediate family member, minus the scare quotes.

The LSD trip definitely caused psychosis and the psychosis has been permanent thus far (this was over a decade ago!). I literally saw it happen.

So when you say permanent psychosis, what are the symptoms?

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