2019年经济学人 大麻和精神疾病

 

Royal gorilla¹, Girl Scout² Cookies and Fat Banana are just a few of the improbably named strains of high-potency³ cannabis out there.

Royal gorilla, Girl Scout Cookies和Fat Banana只是名不符实的高效力大麻品种中的几种。

In the former, levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical behind the psychological effects of cannabis, are above 25%.

前者的四氢大麻醇（THC）含量在25%以上，这种化学成分赋予了大麻心理效应。

Reviewers describe it as "overwhelming" for novices⁴ and a "beautiful euphoric couch-locking experience" for others.

评论者称这一含量之强悍是新手难以应付的，对其他人则是一种“美妙的、愉悦的、身体舒畅的体验”。

However enticing⁵ that may sound, regular use of cannabis with a potency greater than 10% increases the risk of developing psychosis five-fold,

虽然听起来很诱人，但经常性地使用效力大于10%的大麻会使患精神疾病的风险增加5倍，

according to a study published this week by the Lancet. It also found that using less potent⁶ strains daily increased the risk three-fold.

《柳叶刀》期刊本周发表的一项研究说如是。该研究还发现每天食用低效力品种会将风险增加三倍。

Marta Di Forti, a clinical scientist at Kings College in London,

伦敦国王学院的临床科学家Marta Di Forti

and her colleagues looked at cannabis use among 901 European patients newly diagnosed with psychosis.

和她的同事对食用大麻并在近期被诊断患有精神疾病的901名欧洲病人进行观察。

A non-smoking control group was recruited from the general population.

他们从普通群体中招募了一支不抽烟的实验对照组。

The study adds substantial weight to the evidence linking cannabis to the onset⁷ of psychosis.

该研究给大麻和精神疾病发作之间的联系增添了实质性的重量级证据。

It also suggests that differences between varieties and how often they are used

该研究还表明各种变量之间的差别以及食用频率

could help explain why rates of psychosis among cannabis users vary across Europe.

可以帮助解释为什么在欧洲大麻使用者患精神疾病的比率各不相同。

Other factors, including genetic⁸ susceptibility, stress and injury, are also thought to be at work.

其他因素，包括遗传易感性、压力和受伤也被认为起到了作用。

Nonetheless, a growing body of evidence makes it likely that cannabis use is triggering mental-health problems in Europe.

尽管如此，有越来越多的证据证明在欧洲食用大麻会引起精神健康问题。

This may be particularly true in London and Amsterdam where high-THC weed is prevalent.

在伦敦和阿姆斯特丹这些高THC大麻盛行的国家尤为如此。

In London, 30% of new cases of psychosis in the study were estimated to be tied to strong cannabis—or an additional 13.8 cases per 100,000 people every year.

在该研究中，据估计伦敦30%的精神疾病新案例都和高效力大麻有关—或者说是每年每10万人中就有额外的13.8%例。

With the relaxation⁹ of cannabis laws in the United States and Canada,

随着美国和加拿大放松大麻法律政策，

many will wonder what this means for countries still developing their own policies.

很多人将猜想，对那些仍在发展本国政策的国家而言，这样做意味着什么。

Given the impracticality¹⁰ of removing high-potency strains from the illegal market,

考虑到不可能将高效力大麻品种移出非法市场，

the finds may support calls for legal, regulated sales of less harmful strains. It is difficult to know how this would affect public health.

这些发现或许可以支持提倡有害性更小的品种的合法管制性买卖。我们难以知道这将对公众健康有何影响。

However, as one scientist remarked recently, while laboratory animals are an expensive way of understanding the risks of cannabis use, "North Americans come free."

但正如一名科学家近期所说，虽然使用试验动物是理解食用大麻风险的一种昂贵方式，但是“北美人是免费的。”

1 gorilla   

n.大猩猩，暴徒，打手

参考例句：

• I was awed by the huge gorilla.那只大猩猩使我惊惧。
• A gorilla is just a speechless animal.猩猩只不过是一种不会说话的动物。

2 scout   

n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索

参考例句：

• He was mistaken for an enemy scout and badly wounded.他被误认为是敌人的侦察兵，受了重伤。
• The scout made a stealthy approach to the enemy position.侦察兵偷偷地靠近敌军阵地。

3 potency   

n. 效力，潜能

参考例句：

• Alcohol increases the drug's potency.酒精能增加这种毒品的效力。
• Sunscreen can lose its potency if left over winter in the bathroom cabinet.如果把防晒霜在盥洗室的壁橱里放一个冬天，就有可能失效。

4 novices   

n.新手( novice的名词复数 )；初学修士（或修女）；（修会等的）初学生；尚未赢过大赛的赛马

参考例句：

• The Russians are such novices in Africa. 在非洲的俄国人简直都是些毫无经验的生手。 来自辞典例句
• Where the primary track all novices, screams everywhere, ha ha good terror. 那里的初级道上全是生手，到处都是尖叫声，哈哈好恐怖的。 来自互联网

5 enticing   

adj.迷人的；诱人的

参考例句：

• The offer was too enticing to refuse. 这提议太有诱惑力，使人难以拒绝。
• Her neck was short but rounded and her arms plump and enticing. 她的脖子短，但浑圆可爱；两臂丰腴，也很动人。

6 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

7 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

8 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

9 relaxation   

n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐

参考例句：

• The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law.部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。
• She listens to classical music for relaxation.她听古典音乐放松。

10 impracticality   

n.不切实际, 办不到

参考例句：

• I resent comments on the impracticality of small cars. 我反对说小骄车不实用的说法。