Research Professor in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Otago
Position:
Not Clearly Pro or Con
to the question "Should marijuana be a medical option?"
Reasoning:
"Regression models adjusting for observed and non-observed confounding suggested that daily users of cannabis had rates of psychotic symptoms that were between 1.6 and 1.8 times higher (P<0.001) than non-users of cannabis....
The results of the present study add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that regular cannabis use may increase risks of psychosis.
The present study suggests that:
A. the association between cannabis use and psychotic symptoms is unlikely to be due to confounding factors; and
B. the direction of causality is from cannabis use to psychotic symptoms."
"Tests of Causal Likages Between Cannabis Use and Psychotic Symptoms," Addiction 2005
Experts
PhD's and JD's (lawyers) with significant post-doctoral involvement in medical marijuana issues; judges who have presided over medical marijuana cases. [Note: Experts definition varies by site]
Involvement and Affiliations:
Research Professor, Department of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Otago, New Zealand
Founder and Executive Director of the Christchurch Health and Development Study, Christchurch School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Otago
Keynote Address speaker "The Development and Evaluation of Early Start" at the New Zealand Early Childhood Research 10th Annual Conference 2006
Recipient, gold medal award for Excellence in Research at the School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Otago
Co-author, "Mirken Refuted: Reasons for Believing that the Association Between Cannabis Use and Risk of Psychosis is Probably Causal" in Letters to the Editor, Addiction, 2005
Co-author, "Tests of Causal Likages Between Cannabis Use and Psychotic Symptoms," Addiction, 2005
Co-author. "Early Onset Cannabis Use and Psychosocial Adjustment in Young Adults," Addiction, 1997
