Studies in misleading studies

From CNN

A report from the office last month found that a teenager who has been depressed in the past year was more than twice as likely to have used marijuana than teenagers who have not reported being depressed -- 25 percent compared with 12 percent. The study said marijuana use increased the risk of developing mental disorders by 40 percent.

Other than the fact that correlation does not equal causation...

"The increases in marijuana potency are of concern since they increase the likelihood of acute toxicity, including mental impairment," said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which funded the University of Mississippi study.

Let's just be clear that she is talking about "marijuana overdose". Has anyone every seen a single instance of this?

"Particularly worrisome is the possibility that the more potent THC might be more effective at triggering the changes in the brain that can lead to addiction," Volkow said.

When the words possibility, might and can are strung together it is amazing the conclusions that you can lead to ...

"I think that it is worrisome that there is a possibility that spouting propaganda for the Bush Administration might make a scientist look like a hack and can lead to ridicule by their peers"

But there's no data showing that a higher potency in marijuana leads to more addiction, Earleywine said, and marijuana's withdrawal symptoms are mild at best. "Mild irritability, craving for marijuana and decreased appetite -- I mean those are laughable when you talk about withdrawal from a drug. Caffeine is worse."