Herschel Baker of Drug Free Australia has shared research references showing links between marijuana use and violence across the globe.
- A Review of Cases of Marijuana and Violence
The main scope of this paper was to inform the general public about the relationships between marijuana and violence in the general population and in individuals with mental illnesses, as recent findings do link marijuana with cases where psychosis was present. This article is a case review and not a research study; therefore, the chief limitations regard inferences that can be made from a case study. However, the findings suggest a further need for research on marijuana and violence. The authors of this paper did not intend to take sides regarding the legalization of marijuana. The focus was public health in regards to marijuana [2,11,14,18,36]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7084484/
- The Relationship Between Marijuana Use and Intimate Partner Violence in a Nationally Representative, Longitudinal Sample These findings have a number of implications for intimate partner violence prevention. First, given that any marijuana use appears to increase the risk for intimate partner violence, violence-prevention strategies should include early and continued marijuana prevention efforts in existing intimate partner violence treatment and prevention programming. Second, knowledge regarding the link between marijuana use and intimate partner violence could be used to inform domestic violence treatment providers of issues related to intimate partner violence recidivism. If early and continual marijuana treatment is emphasized as an important component of domestic violence treatment, then repeat occurrences of intimate partner violence among marijuana users may be reduced. Third, recognizing that there is a shared overlap between intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization and that marijuana use is a strong predictor for experiencing both outcomes, programs and policies that incorporate the complex relationship between marijuana and intimate partner violence could be developed to offer a more comprehensive treatment regimen. These holistic approaches are likely to be more beneficial than the current programs that are often “client specific” (e.g., they only serve drug users, or victims, or perpetrators; Karmen, 2007). Fourth, the finding that males are at increased risk for intimate partner vioence indicates that males should be included in intimate partner violence prevention programming, which has traditionally been reserved for women. Culturally specific programming may also be relevant, as different risk fac[1]tors may be present for Blacks compared with other groups, which may increase their risk for intimate partner violence. Future research is necessary to delineate these cultural-specific risk factors. Finally, the findings from this study may shed light on the potential harms of legislation legalizing marijuana use, as increased access to marijuana may increase use and, therefore, increase the harm associated with marijuana use (e.g., domestic violence, chronic diseases, and unintentional injuries). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3782298/.
3, Association Between the Use of Cannabis and Physical Violence in Youths: A Meta-Analytical Investigation https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19101008These results demonstrate a moderate association between cannabis use and physical violence, which remained significant regardless of study design and adjustment for confounding factors (i.e., socioeconomic factors, other substance use). Cannabis use in this population is a risk factor for violence. A large study just published by a team from Montreal University in Canada has found that people who regularly smoke cannabis are almost three times more likely to commit a violent offence as those who abstain from the drug. The paper entitled “Association Between the Use of Cannabis and Physical Violence in Youths: A Meta-Analytical Investigation” and published in the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) American Journal of Psychiatry did a meta-analysis of 30 studies which covered 296,815 people up to the age of 30. The study found that over time, prolonged cannabis use profoundly alters the brain, making the user less able to control their temper, and that addicts may also suffer from withdrawal symptoms, making them irritable and prone to lashing out. Psychiatrist Professor Sir Robin Murray, a world-leading expert on the neurological impact of the drug, was quoted in the media saying that the link between cannabis use and violence was a ‘neglected area’. The researchers say that while ‘the [scientific] literature has shown that cannabis use may lead to violent behaviours and aggression; however, this association has been inconsistent’ – with some studies showing a relationship and others not – their meta-analysis found users were more than twice as likely (2.15 times) to have committed a violent offence as non-users. Among ‘persistent heavy users’, the risk of violence was 2.81 times higher.
- Think Ya Know? Is Marijuana a Risk Factor for Violence? https://saynopetodope.org.nz/family-violence-child-abuse/
- Association Between the Use of Cannabis and Physical Violence in Youths: A Meta-Analytical Investigationhttps://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19101008These results demonstrate a moderate association between cannabis use and physical violence, which remained significant regardless of study design and adjustment for confounding factors (i.e., socioeconomic factors, other substance use). Cannabis use in this population is a risk factor for violence.
- Association of Cannabis Use With Self-harm and Mortality Risk Among Youths With Mood Disordershttps://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2775255?utm_campaign=articlePDF&utm_medium=articlePDFlink&utm_source=articlePDF&utm_content=jamapediatrics.2020.5494 Cannabis use disorder is a common comorbidity and risk marker for self-harm, all-cause mortality, and death by unintentional overdose and homicide among youths with mood disorders. These findings should be considered as states contemplate legalizing medical and recreational marijuana, both of which are associated with increased CUD.
- Cannabis and Cannabinoids in Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Impact on Illness Onset and Course, and Assessment of Therapeutic Potentialhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31577377/ Forty-seven studies were included: 32 reported on illness onset, nine on illness course, and six on cannabinoid therapeutics. Cohort studies varied significantly in design and quality. The literature suggests that cannabis use is linked to the onset and poorer clinical course in bipolar disorder and PTSD, but this finding is not as clear in depression and anxiety disorders (ADs). There have been few high-quality studies of cannabinoid pharmaceuticals in clinical settings.
- Association of Cannabis Use in Adolescence and Risk of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidality in Young Adulthood A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2723657?utm_campaign=articlePDF&utm_medium=articlePDFlink&utm_source=articlePDF&utm_content=jamapsychiatry.2018.4500 Although individual-level risk remains moderate to low and results from this study should be confirmed in future adequately powered prospective studies, the high prevalence of adolescents consuming cannabis generates a large number of young people who could develop depression and suicidality attributable to cannabis. This is an important public health problem and concern, which should be properly addressed by health care policy.
- Young-adult compared to adolescent onset of regular cannabis use: A 20-year prospective cohort study of later consequenceshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33497516/ Initiation of regular cannabis use after high school strongly predicted smoking and illicit drug use in the mid-30s. This group also accounted for a higher proportion of illicit drug use and smoking in the cohort. Sensitivity analyses suggested that this association was at least partially causal. Given the legalisation of cannabis use in an increasing number of jurisdictions, we should increasingly expect harms from cannabis use to lie in those commencing use in young adulthood.
10 Association between Alcohol, Cannabis and Other Illicit Substance Abuse and Risk of Developing Schizophrenia: A Nationwide Population Based Register Study https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/abs/association-between-alcohol-cannabis-and-other-illicit-substance-abuse-and-risk-of-developing-schizophrenia-a-nationwide-population-based-register-study/8914A1F1A0CBFBF17982720CBE2C2451 In conclusion, the consumption of substances is an extensive problem throughout the world and a current debate on legalizing cannabis in many countries has made uncovering the risk of abusing substances an important area of investigation (21,36). We found robust associations between a wide variety of substance abuse and an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. We are not aware of any other study focusing on the effect of such a wide variety of substance abuse and the interaction between the abuses as our study.
- Association of High-Potency Cannabis Use With Mental Health and Substance Use in Adolescence https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2765973 In conclusion, the consumption of substances is an extensive problem throughout the world and a current debate on legalizing cannabis in many countries has made uncovering the risk of abusing substances an important area of investigation (21,36). We found robust associations between a wide variety of substance abuse and an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. We are not aware of any other study focusing on the effect of such a wide variety of substance abuse and the interaction between the abuses as our study.
- Cannabis use and violence in patients with severe mental illnesses: A metanalytical investigation https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30780061/
With the upcoming policy changes on cannabis internationally such as the 2018 Canadian legalization of cannabis, it is of high importance to better investigate its potential harmful effects on violence mostly in more vulnerable psychiatric populations to devise effective interventions. Cannabis use should be considered in violence risk prevention and management.
- Professor Dame Carol Black Inquiry Violence Stories Violent deaths/injuries caused by cannabis users
https://www.cannabisskunksense.co.uk/uploads/site-files/Professor_Dame_Carol_Black_Inquiry_Cannabis_Violent_stories.pdfMales 53 Females 5 Methods: Stabbings: 19 Shootings: 21 Killing by hand: 4 (eg. Throttling, Beating, Battering, Jaw breaking) Axe: 1 Drowning: 1 Beheading: 2 Chased/run down by vehicle: 2 Bombings: 4 Victims: Relatives: 17 Strangers: 25 Friends: 6 Obama: 1 Mass killings 11 Possible Links with terrorists 6
- Attacker Smoked Cannabis: suicide and psychopathic violence in the UK and Ireland“Those whose minds are steeped in cannabis are capable of quite extraordinary criminality.” https://attackersmokedcannabis.com/
- Easton Woodhead suffering from marijuana-smoking psychosis in the lead-up to killing of homeless man Wayne Perry
- At Least Eleven Pot-Related Homicides Since Legalization, DA George Brauchler Sayshttps://www.westword.com/news/marijuana-related-homicides-in-colorado-since-legalization-9345285
- Marijuana Is More Dangerous Than You Think https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6461328/
Some population-level data does exist, though. Research from Finland and Denmark, two countries that track mental illness more accurately, shows a significant increase in psychosis since 2000, following an increase in cannabis use. And last September, a large survey found a rise in serious mental illness in the U.S. too. In 2017, 7.5% of young adults met the criteria for serious mental illness, double the rate in 2008.
A 2012 paper in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, examining a federal survey of more than 9,000 adolescents, found that marijuana use was associated with a doubling of domestic violence in the U.S. A 2017 paper in the journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, examining drivers of violence among 6,000 British and Chinese men, found that drug use was linked to a fivefold increase in violence, and the drug used was nearly always cannabis.
Source: https://www.dbrecoveryresources.com/2024/08/marijuana-and-violence-2/