James Watson: Marijuana Can Trigger Schizophrenia
James Watson: Marijuana Can Trigger Schizophrenia
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The molecular biologist believes that a predisposition to schizophrenia is 100% genetic. Certain environmental factors, like smoking marijuana, can trigger the mental disorder.
Question: What is the state of mental illness research?James Watson: In the case of the brain, you know, you have disorganized thinking. But we don’t know what thinking is. So, you can’t look at… and say it’s not thinking right. So we didn’t come to, you know, a real chance to fight back against cancer until we do the basic, say laws in which DNA operated. And then finding how chromosomes divide, et cetera, and all those details.
Once we had that, then we could ask what… I guess why does the cancer cell behave differently? The case of the brain is clearly so complicated that in reality, about the only people that think about the brain are outsiders who are not capable of understanding it. That is the people who are sort of bright enough, or you know, trained enough know how inherently complex it is. And Francis Crick spent 20 years trying to think about it. In the end, nothing came out of it. So, you know, in a perverse way, I think the only people that really know should think about how the brain operates are those people who deal with schizophrenia or bipolar disease where you know the brain just doesn’t work. So because for the most part the people who study it, who only got into the field because they have a child or they have a sister or a brother or, you know, you’re in it because you want to cure someone.
So we can take away delusions from people with schizophrenia, but they’re very cognitively impaired and we don’t know how to repair the cognition defects. And that’s why the become homeless if there’s no one taking care of them; they just really can’t look after themselves. So the thought that you can teach the homeless to take care of themselves. No, we have to take care of them. Question: You have a personal interest in this?James Watson: Yes. I have a son, who is a… not an ordinary form of schizophrenia, but clearly, cannot take care of himself. And the great fear of then, of all parents is, when the parents die, who takes care of your child? And the answer is: they become homeless. You know, unless there is sufficient money in the family or something, but, given the structure of society today… The mentally ill are treated very cruelly. We sort of deny their existence. Congress has virtually no interest in them. A great interest in cancer, but no interest… no one wants to hold a hearing on it. Question: Do you think mental disorders like schizophrenia are strongly genetic?James Watson: I would say, predisposition 100%. Whether it progresses to full-blown schizophrenia, probably some environmental influences, such as… It’s clear that if you’re pre-disposed to schizophrenia, smoking marijuana will tip you over. But marijuana won’t tip over someone into schizophrenia that is probably not predisposed to it. So, you know, most people smoke it and, you know, do not end up in mental hospitals. But some do. Question: How will science pinpoint the genetic components of mental disorders?James Watson: We’ve sort or proposed, you know, sequencing 100,000 in mental ill people because it’s not going to be just one gene that’s… you know, you can stop a car from functioning by, you know, destroying a large number of different parts. And the same way you can sort of put the brain and make it dysfunctional by just destroying one small part of a whole operating system. So, we’re pretty sure there’s at least hundreds of genes. But we think they will be put together where there will be some pathway to this schizophrenia, by which we can intervene in some cases.
And it’s too complicated now for me to say, but it may be even though many genes are involved, the way the brain works may nonetheless enable us to cure some. Some cases of autism, which look as hopeless as anything is that when people have abnormally high temperature and fever their symptoms diminish. Now, so you think, well just raise their temperature a couple of degrees and they won’t be so sick. We’re in fact going to have a meeting about this. So, I’m dominated you know, I want to… we have to get the genetic information, but as a parent, I want something good to happen, you know, over the next five to 10 years.
Recorded on September 28, 2010Interviewed by Paul Hoffman
THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME SO MANY TIMES.
A beautiful man who really wants to help people. So cruelly treated by the you know whos.
i can’t believe people actually believe this guy. the people who believe that marijuana is bad needs to do more research and people would rather argue about the plant than google the drug. over 3000 people die from heroine overdoses in 2010. you know how many deaths marijuana has? why don’t you google it to prove you’re doing some research otherwise, don’t argue with me because you’ll make yourself look like a bad person.
Marijuana triggered be to believe anecdotal evidence, and now all the other comments on here make sense.
So who invented schizophrenia? Psychiatry did, that is who, more people than you believe hear voices and experience differences in reality, it is only when this reality threatens the individual is it then considered a disorder in which it is not seen as social acceptable and must be controlled by western society, mean while in other cultures people who experience these attributes are seen as gifted, blessed, Shaman, Witch doctors or even the Oracle. Christianity first deemed the experience as unholy and demonised it as it did not fit their narrative. Pharmaceutical companies are pushing this bio-chemical imbalance nonsense with absolutely no evidence to support their cruel and barbaric ways, there is money to be made. Wake up people and stop feeding the horrible stigma which comes with such labels, the only disorder is psychiatry.
Lmfao I’m high af right now
Weed doesnt cause schizophrenia ._. It may trigger it earlier but either way the person is ganna start expierencing signs of schizophrenia.
The man is obviously disoriented ans senile
Cuase? Most likely not. Trigger a person with the wrong genes and someone who has a family history with the condition plus stress-depression also environmental sure its possible.
Most of what people are calling weed today is NOT natural cannabis sativa / indica – they are heavily modified hybrids – genetically modified in some cases and they are a form of POISON. Mother natures cannabis will not cause harm in the same way AT ALL. These are what can TRIGGER MANY ILLNESS – not only schizophrenia.
I have pure O. My anxiety would never let me to drink/smoke cuz I think that if I do those I will get addicted and after that getting psychosis or something like that. I see it as good thing… (not the other intrusive thoughts tho they suck)
To quote David Lynch ‘Total fucking bullshit"
Im afraid snoop dogg is homeless. Well he is smoking weed since i don’t know.
🌿🌿💨💥😳
OK SERIOUSLY! Hey man I am open minded as the next guy but the title of the video is completely misleading. He was speaking mostly about Schizophrenia. He only talked about weed a little bit. THis is that bit: . "Whether it progresses to full-blown schizophrenia, probably some environmental influences, such as… It’s clear that if you’re pre-disposed to schizophrenia, smoking marijuana will tip you over. But marijuana won’t tip over someone into schizophrenia that is probably not predisposed to it. So, you know, most people smoke it and, you know, DO NOT END UP IN HOSPITALS. But some do." So if you have a pre-disposed to schizophrenia, then don’t smoke weed. And that’s a good chunk of the population. Look if you are going to hate on weed and not even watch the video and just comment how much you hate it then fine. BUt I just wanted all of you to know that the portion that he did speak about weed didn’t really have anything significant stating weed is good OR bad. So I don’t know what everyone here is commenting about weed being bad, since the message was don’t smoke if you’re pre-disposed……..so disappointed in the person who uploaded the video and gave a misleading title and all of you who hate on weed but don’t even source anything from the video…makes you look like a misinformed hater.
Hey Michael, the whole comment section knows you´re high right now. You might want to check if the oven is still on.
THC is a well known, and well documented cause of artificial paranoia. There is a well known example, where two young guys who were Pot Dealers, and were driving around quite stoned on Marijuana. They had a considerable stash in their car, and had also been smoking themselves heavily; enough to transform their mental state. The paranoid state is preceded by feelings of intense guilt, which then lead directly to feelings of persecution, and paranoia. These two Pot-Heads were convinced, the whole time, that they were being watched, and followed around by unmarked police vehicles. Finally they said: "What the heck! They are on to us. Let’s just find the nearest Police Station and turn ourselves in." Which is what they did, to the utter astonishment of the Police! In a totalitarian police state, the ideal drug to make widely available to the masses, would be a drug such as THC. Nothing could make citizens more compliant, fearful, and obedient!
Big Think adds a misleading title to yet another wonderful little talk. This video should be titled “Marijuana Can Trigger Schizophrenia in Genetically Predisposed Patients”, or something similar.
Cant take care of himself so schizophrenia makes you stupid I’m online who can’t work and lazy okay I’ve had it all my life and I’ve had my own place and a job I was homeless before yes I think I got kicked out my grandparents house shake my f****** head
"Marijuana is not a drug. I suck dick for coke!"
I do pot but only on a schedual to when I can
Genetic predisposition and environmental stressors cause the late onset of schizophrenia.
It’s usually stress like the death of a child, midlife crisis, bullying, etc.
Marijuana use in patients with predisposition could trigger the disorder.
Sorry I don’t speak Helen Keller
I didn’t become schizophrenic or paranoid (if that’s the problem), so i will still smoke 🗣
Smoking Marijuana doesn’t cure anything it only masks body pain and other things that go on in your body but it doesn’t cure it. People just have no clue! What’s this world coming to ? Mankind has ruined our world our world is very corrupt, it’s a sad thing and very scary. These are all true facts people . People are taking weed to mask there problems,just like an alcoholic, just like a druggie, people abuse and use all of these things to mask there own problems. People wouldn’t you want a cure for your problems instead of masking them with bad drugs, alcohol, and weed? I would want to cure my problems instead of masking them with harmful things such as what I mentioned. People are truly out to lunch these days, people have no clue and are brainless.
Marijuana advocates dominate the internet. Schizophrenics consume the internet. Remember when being drug-free was cool?
Omg, this is dr Watson? Or is he a Rothschild?
i always thought james watson was a half schizophrenic, and since his son is, and his thoughts seem kinda loosely connected a bit.
ITS SCARY HOW THE LINK BETWEEN MARIJUANA AND MENTAL ILLNESS IS NEVER ADDRESSED IN MAINSTREAM MEDIA !
You only have to work on a psychiatric hospital for one month to notice the undeniable link between marijuana use and mental illness.
I work on a psych ward..and the amount of times I admit schizophrenics who proclaim "marijuana is legal now !" …truly frightens me
For all the weed smokers who get severe paranoia when they smoke…if you want to cut the paranoia from your high, you have to buy the CBD weed and grind it up with your other weed..you will feel a huge difference…and more focused too…cbd weed is great
the dumbing down agenda 2030
I don’t know if that’s right, but I know that most stoners I meet are incredibly stupid.
Watson must be one of the most awkward speakers ever.
No it cant…yes it can…NO IT FUCKING CANT….yes it can…slaps self
For all the people that liked this video you are dumbassses and think that when you did pot it made it 10 times worse USE CBD DONT USE REGULAR POT DONT BE A FUCKING IDIOT
He’s high himself…!
Why Cannabis makes think that the people is judging me all the time? I lost energy and cant maintain an interesting conversation? If i smoke and im alone, everything ok, but if there are too many persons i get anxious. Please, help…
People dont like talking about it because pot smokers like to believe that marijuanna is a cure all for everyone and that its completely harmless. I am 100% for marijuanna use and legalization; but I firmly believe that marijuanna is absolutely toxic for people who are predisposed to mental illness. Schizophrenia being the big one. I’ve seen people spiral downward firsthand after they start smoking for a period of time and I’ve experienced my own issues after smoking. People need consider these things instead of protecting their favorite plant because it can be damaging for some people for them to believe they’re okay to keep smoking while they’re making their condition worse all because no one informed them of the dangers.
437 people triggered schizophrenia with cannabis
lol
It’s funny how they study weed but don’t smoke them selves to see the real feel😂😂
i believe this person past away already
This guy is elitist trash.
1:38 he just realizes that he too is high.
Edit: This man is drunk
i love how he said , we say "disorganized thinking, but we dont know what thinking is", perfect example how the DSM and psychiatry distort reality.
some please make a summary of the gentleman.
Is true. My condition came as my weed usage got more and more as a teenager and always worsens to this day with heavy marijuana use. If I smoke multiple times per day for a week or so, everything take a dramatic turn for the worse..insomnia..fleeting thoughts..peripheral hallucinations and paranoia
Smh schizophrenia delusional hearing thing gesh let me see why that sounds familiar..oh thats right adam eve Abraham kane and able all seen n hear things geesh i guess if you beleave in God or he talks to you your schizophrenic lets see peranoid raceing thoughts ummm ok look at this world any body would be paranoid…raceing thoughts lets see gathering lots of ideas and info all at once dang that is soooo crazy…but ues ying n yang day n night everthing has its pros n cons smh if used right it could be a gift…just to away some scientists could explain a phenomenon so automatically so negative disorder
The people who disliked are idiots. I’ve been in hospital twice, and half the people in there had schizophrenia from drug abuse, mainly triggered from cannabis.
I smoked marijuana for years and there’s all kinds of different effects: I had some very scary situations where I was high in an environment that affected my mental state of paranoia anxiety I can tell you all kinds of stories but I don’t care what anybody says marijuana is addicting if we care about the money then we care about the things that we buy in the world