CBC Documentary on Marijuana and Mental Health in Young People

Teenagers who start smoking marijuana before the age of sixteen are four times more likely to become schizophrenic. That’s the startling conclusion of some of the world’s top schizophrenia experts, whose research is featured in the new documentary The Downside of High, premiering on CBC TV’s “The Nature of Things” with David Suzuki on Thursday, January 28 at 8:00 PM. The scientists’ groundbreaking work on the connection between marijuana and mental illness also reveals that, for all young adults, smoking marijuana nearly doubles the risk of developing recurring psychosis, paranoia and hallucinations – the hallmarks of schizophrenia. The Downside of High, directed and written by Bruce Mohun, tells the stories of three young people from British Columbia who believe – along with their doctors – that their mental illness was triggered by marijuana use. All three spent months in hospital psychiatric wards, and still wage a battle with their illness. Today’s super-potent pot may be a big part of the problem. Modern growing techniques have dramatically increased the amount of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana – ramping up the threat to the developing teenage brain.