Can marijuana cause aggressive and delinquent behavior?

Answer 1

Though a connection has been made between cannabs use and criminal and/or aggressive behaviour in people, it is not the substance that causes the violence.

The two most recent studies into the connection between cannabis and aggressive behaviour carried out in New Zealand in 2000, were interpreted by some as proof that cannabis causes violent behaviour.

Dr Louise Arseneault, lead author on the studies said: "We found that people dependent on cannabis were more likely to commit violent crime. But to say our studies showed that cannabis itself caused violence is wrong.

"We found it was not the substance that caused the violence, it was because heavy users were more likely to have a history of anti-social behaviour, bad parenting, failure at school, thieving and involvement in the illegal drug market.

"To say the paranoia created by smoking cannabis makes you more likely to be violent is a very big claim," she says, "there is no evidence for this."

So no, cannabis does not cause aggressive and delinquent behaviour.

Answer 2

If the user is addicted from long term heavy use areas of their brain chemistry will be effected and as a result their perceptions may be distorted, personality altered and they will have some level of paranoia and anxiety. They are not themselves...although they think they are. If a person already has some aggressive tendencies then addiction to MJ may amplify these tendencies..to the point where they become dangerous to themselves and others. Light, occasional use of MJ is unlikely to cause any of the above issues.

YES, MJ can cause aggression and delinquency..I have seen it first hand! But MJ is not the problem its the user and the underlying reason why they feel they need MJ to feel normal?

MJ addiction is as serious as any other kind of substance abuse and addition.