Have been smoking pot for four years. Have never had a hint of psychosis. This documentary also briefly breaks down why we get high after smoking cannabis. Some people hold the ignorant belief that because we have cannabinoid receptors in our brains our brains must be designed for the purpose of smoking weed...Not true. It may be that one part of our brain that allows us to get high, but it is only a part of our normal neurological system. But it sure is fun to feed it with the herb, eh?

Video reproduced for comment and review.
Sorry for the abysmal quality, but that's the best I could download.

Watch better quality here:http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/natureofthings/2010/downsideofhigh/

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.

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.


Ben was first introduced to marijuana while at a high school in BC. His increasingly psychotic behaviour led to a year-long hospitalization.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.

But there's an intriguing twist to the story: in the process of cultivating more potent strains of pot, growers have also been breeding out a little-known ingredient called cannabidiol that seems to buffer the effects of THC. So today's high-octane pot actually contains a double-whammy - more psychosis-producing THC, and less of the protective CBD or cannabidiol.


Tyler was 14 years old when he first started experiencing psychotic episodes.For many people, smoking marijuana is not a big deal - it is, after all, the most widely-used illegal drug in the world. The Downside of Highprovides a scientific perspective on some of the little-known and little discussed risks of marijuana, particularly for teenagers.

The Downside of High is directed and written by Bruce Mohun, story-produced by Maureen Palmer, and produced by Sue Ridout forDreamfilm Productions of Vancouver.