JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
-
Addictive use of the stimulant drug pemoline caused a delusional disorder in a middle-aged man. Discontinuance of use of the drug promptly reversed the psychosis, which subsequently recurred when pemoline was again used. Pemoline seems to be an addictive drug and has an additional property that heretofore has been attributed mainly to amphetamines--precipitation of a paranoid psychosis.
-
Frequent smoking of cannabis (marijuana) has been shown to be associated with a decline in social, mental, and perceptual skills and, during adolescence, with maladaptive emotional development. Urinalysis for the detection of such use can be a useful tool for the physician responsible for treatment and counseling of adolescents who develop habitual use of marijuana. ⋯ The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of the active constituents of cannabis are described as well as the interpretation of urinalysis results as they relate to use patterns. Guidelines are presented for the primary care physician for selecting candidates for such testing and for the use of such tests in the treatment or counseling of adolescents for whom marijuana abuse has become a psychological and social problem.