xREL.v3

The.Nature.Of.Things-The_Downside_of_High.2010.HDTV.XviD-YT

Country     : CA
Language    : English
Network     : CBC
Pack Date   : 2010-02-02
Length      : 00:43:36
Video       : 985 kbps XviD MPEG-4
Audio       : 112 kbps 48KHz 2ch MP3
Resolution  : 624x352
Scan        : Progressive
Framerate   : 29.970
Size        : 350 MB

[ Release Notes ]
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.
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.
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
High provides 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 for
Dreamfilm Productions of Vancouver.

Yours truly