The media wants to spread Tamura's delusion that high school football caused his mental illness. It's ignoring his cannabis use, a far likelier cause. As usual, ideology trumps (likely) reality.
Because people are prescribed these AFTER they present with mental health symptoms. But yes, if you're a young person getting increasingly psychotic from marijuana, Prozac is definitely not going to help.
What would be interesting to KNOW is how often is it that mass shootings happen with those mentally ill (since to shoot somone makes a person mentally ill in my book or to take an innocent bystander's life), and not using such medications and how many shootings happened post use of said medications. Does going ON these meds make a person more likely to ACT OUT is my question
It might. Many of these acts are homicide/suicides and SSRIs (like THC) can cause suicidal thoughts--particularly in teens and young adults. So an SSRI is NOT the answer for psychosis symptoms. But that assumes the Doctor asks or observes--and the patient admits to those symptoms.
So in this particular case the cannabis is in focus in proposed causative link which makes me ask the same question on whether the pre medicated mentally ill who do not use cannabis and mentally ill on SSRIs are DIFF in likelihood in increasing acting out. I imagine there are no credible studies done on this
It's a definite possibility. Most psychotropic drugs have a serious side effect that is euphemistically known as "behavioral activation." What this means is that a previously non-aggressive person becomes physically aggressive/violent. Another side effect is suicidality & I was always taught that if someone is suicidal they are also potentially homicidal.
My problem with anti-psychotics is that they are used for other things besides psychosis, most notably for dementia patients that exhibit agitation - as was done with my mother without my knowledge or consent. Her suffering from Seroquel was indescribable. I only wish I didn't have that memory of her in that state.
I've also seen Risperdal prescribed for children & teens that are absolutely in reality but have terrible behavior. Does nothing for their behavior but usually causes massive weight gain.
And, I am NOT a doctor. I am a registered nurse/pediatric nurse practitioner (Bellevue-trained, so I've been on those notorious psych wards). We nurses, unlike most MDs, are quite willing to entertain the possibility of awful side effect profiles.
My experience with care facilities is they have the poorest doctors who will prescribe anything to quieten/control the care facility resident without the knowledge of those with the medical power of attorney. Just had that occur with a BIL in Indiana. They took him off the pharmaceutical after he appeared to be dying and gave him an IV because he wouldn't eat on the pharmaceutical. He bounced back in two days and could walk and eat on his own again.
Glad your BIL recovered. Yes, assisted living/memory care facilities contract with geriatric psychiatrists who generally are barely competent.
They are also very reluctant to prescribe meds that actually help agitation, such as Ativan. It is a controlled substance & they say they are worried about addiction & withdrawal. Ha! - my mom was in her late 90s - all I cared about was her comfort.
Just saw this, but immediately thought the same. Just SO many of these shooters on them and cannabis perhaps, but the frequency and duration of use on BOTH should be investigated, but proabably won't be. Not to mention the level of concentration in the cannabis used.
Let's see his toxicology tests post mortem to see exactly what was in his system. The better question for the mother is Was he taking any "medicines" as the term drugs denotes drugs of the street and not necessarily from the pharmacy. As the article shows, he was on anti-psychotic meds which was probably klonopin. Bad bad meds.
Since the killer is dead, will there be a trial? A criminal trial?
Could there be a civil trial for estate assets if he had any? At least in theory?
I see it's MD and not JD, but I thought I would ask your opinion.
I don't know the answer on the trials, but I think there should be some kind of investigation for at least two reasons.
1. For the victims and their families.
2. For society to try to learn why at least some people do things like this. The results of the investigation should be passed to the people who study this stuff and to the families of the victims. I'm not sure whether it should be made public.
What is needed is to close what’s called the “dead shooter loophole”. In most states toxicology reports cannot be released to the public because they are deemed (ridiculously) to be “protected health information” and the killer is legally innocent still. Colorado recently mandated toxicology reports on all murderers be collected but the data is only available for research purposes not to the media or subject to public information request. Presumably this could be done federally but there’s just not enough recognition yet by the public or our representatives. Heck Trump is apparently going to rubberstamp Biden’s rescheduling of marijuana which will supercharge these.
I can't speak for Tamura, but all I know for sure is that after decades of smoking weed, it was time for me to quit. Now 100% sober (I had already stopped drinking alcohol years ago), I finally knew the answer to, "Is the weed messing me up?" My mind is suddenly SO clear. And before anyone jumps all over for saying that, I'm only speaking for myself -- but as Alex has pointed out for years, lots of people have experienced the same thing, though far worse.
I am guessing that you didn't have thoughts of shooting people. I agree with the clear mind part, but weed makes you want to get along, not kill everyone. The killing thoughts come from parma meds.
You are correct. In general, weed doubtlessly makes people mellow, myself included. But as someone who has been observing others closebto me who have never or rarely given it a break since around, say, the Bicentennial, it's also doubtless that the effects of long-term CHRONIC use are potentially deleterious. And with the weed strength now at minor-hallucinogenic levels, it's only going to have a worse impact on people.
I tend to agree. Some people get their tolerance levels up so high and smoke non stop. The high concentrations can be a benefit in reducing the usage and result in less smoke.
Where I have a problem is when people ignore the Big Pharma drugs and go right to cannabis and start blaming it on everything. I am just not seeing it, even with chronic users I know.
I have a good friend who is divorcing his wife after 28 years of marriage due to a couple of violent domestic abuse incidents; in the second one, she brandished a pistol. What I noticed the last few times I visited them was that she was smoking pot and high all day. It’s anecdotal, but you can’t discount heavy marijuana use, especially when she was apparently not abusive before.
Today's cannabis bears little resemblance to the pot widely available to my peers (70ish) in the 60s and 70s. People my age who advocate marijuana's legalization probably have no idea what is being unleashed on the public. Decriminalize it - fine. Legalize it - insanity.
Pot is not legal in WI but hemp was made legal in all states under the 2018 farm bill thereby legalizing weed in all states. That sh*t isn't any different than marijuana once you light it up.
I read your book on cannabis and it is great. That is what got me reading your other books and pamphlets(after Elon said it was OK to sell). That eventually led me to your Substack. Great work, keep it up. Decades from now people will realize the harm from the drugs.
THC promotes psychosis. Psychosis promotes violence. These dots are not hard to connect once we dispense with the false notion that THC is benign. The increase in these "random" mass shootings don't correlate with gun ownership or any other factor as well as they do with increased potency and use of THC by young men. It will take alternative media to expose this first (as usual). The NYT and such are actually actively suppressing the information that would help the public connect the dots. See Berenson's reporting of NYT censoring their own report of Uvalde shooter Salvador Ramos and his Cannabis Use Disorder.
This study, posted April 2025, reports an increase in various neuropsychiatric conditions with psychosis being the highest at a 440% increase in the vaxxed population. Hmmmm...
Thank you for this. It was your book on the facts about marijuana and the cultural gaslighting, that brought you to my attention years ago. It is astounding to me the resistance there is out there to making people aware of the horrific dangers of this chemical. 30 years of brainwashing takes a toll. You have done yeoman's work to get this in the public eye.
I took my 8-year-old daughter to Sesame Place (Big Bird is alive and well btw) north of Philadelphia the other day. Going through Philadelphia there were dozens of billboards and the main themes were - cannabis stores, casinos, ambulance chasers, and plastic surgery. The ubiquity of gambling and cannabis is leading to devolution of this country. I also experienced multiple incidents of near accidents due to young minorities driving vehicles and weaving at high speed - well over 85 in 55 MPH zones. No signaling. Also, passed a number of "Pot Cars." It is unclear if the people were actually smoking because the stink becomes a part of the vehicle. The piece de resistance was the smelling of actual pot consumption at Sesame Place. On what planet have I landed where this could be thought to be a good idea or acceptable? Legalization or decriminalization has made many think they can a) drive while smoking and b) smoke it around children or in public places. It used to be people would be circumspect and get high and watch a movie at home or something like that. Now people flaunt it. Not to mention everything Alex has talked about. We need to have a reckoning here.
Gambling and cannabis are great ways to impoverish the citizenry too, making them dependent on government and likely to vote Dem and foment “class divisions “.
But, but, but theres money to be made. Just like big pharma, cannabis companies seem willing and able to just ignore the facts as long as the money is flowing. With writing by people like Mr. Berenson at least some people can be saved. With enough money on the line it seems the will to change this is absent or at least weak.
While I agree with Alex on this... now that I've had a little space from the story, he and Luigi seem identical to me. In that, Tamura seemed to want the same notoriety in the same way. Maybe this comparison has already been made?
Great article, Alex. I'm presuming that if he had a significant hx of concussions in high school, that would have brought out by now, and his mother mentioning twice about his mj use is interesting. Thanks for your reporting on this, because we don't get this anywhere else (that I can think of...).
PA is debating recreational mj use in its legislature but hasn't been put into a bill...yet...we'll see if the Reps don't get bulldozed by the Dems...
Not only is cannabis doing this it’s also a gateway drug to using harder plus China has taken over using the supply chains to move fentanyl and methamphetamine from Vancouver to PEI and down to Maine and Vermont. The danger is real and we have legalized it. Yup. Death.
Cannabis and SSRIs are disasters. Yet Dems want to grab the guns and release the criminals. Thanks for your dogged investigation.
Other disasters: stimulants (Ritalin) and atypical anti-psychotics (Seroquel, Risperdal).
Why is it these MEDICATIONS are never really considered? Pharma and it's powerful CONTROL?
Because people are prescribed these AFTER they present with mental health symptoms. But yes, if you're a young person getting increasingly psychotic from marijuana, Prozac is definitely not going to help.
What would be interesting to KNOW is how often is it that mass shootings happen with those mentally ill (since to shoot somone makes a person mentally ill in my book or to take an innocent bystander's life), and not using such medications and how many shootings happened post use of said medications. Does going ON these meds make a person more likely to ACT OUT is my question
It might. Many of these acts are homicide/suicides and SSRIs (like THC) can cause suicidal thoughts--particularly in teens and young adults. So an SSRI is NOT the answer for psychosis symptoms. But that assumes the Doctor asks or observes--and the patient admits to those symptoms.
So in this particular case the cannabis is in focus in proposed causative link which makes me ask the same question on whether the pre medicated mentally ill who do not use cannabis and mentally ill on SSRIs are DIFF in likelihood in increasing acting out. I imagine there are no credible studies done on this
It's a definite possibility. Most psychotropic drugs have a serious side effect that is euphemistically known as "behavioral activation." What this means is that a previously non-aggressive person becomes physically aggressive/violent. Another side effect is suicidality & I was always taught that if someone is suicidal they are also potentially homicidal.
Fluoxetine is not effective in its approved indications - paranoid psychosis is kinda way off label.
Ok Dr Heller, what would YOU prescribe for someone with psychosis--cannabis induced or otherwise?
My problem with anti-psychotics is that they are used for other things besides psychosis, most notably for dementia patients that exhibit agitation - as was done with my mother without my knowledge or consent. Her suffering from Seroquel was indescribable. I only wish I didn't have that memory of her in that state.
I've also seen Risperdal prescribed for children & teens that are absolutely in reality but have terrible behavior. Does nothing for their behavior but usually causes massive weight gain.
And, I am NOT a doctor. I am a registered nurse/pediatric nurse practitioner (Bellevue-trained, so I've been on those notorious psych wards). We nurses, unlike most MDs, are quite willing to entertain the possibility of awful side effect profiles.
My experience with care facilities is they have the poorest doctors who will prescribe anything to quieten/control the care facility resident without the knowledge of those with the medical power of attorney. Just had that occur with a BIL in Indiana. They took him off the pharmaceutical after he appeared to be dying and gave him an IV because he wouldn't eat on the pharmaceutical. He bounced back in two days and could walk and eat on his own again.
Glad your BIL recovered. Yes, assisted living/memory care facilities contract with geriatric psychiatrists who generally are barely competent.
They are also very reluctant to prescribe meds that actually help agitation, such as Ativan. It is a controlled substance & they say they are worried about addiction & withdrawal. Ha! - my mom was in her late 90s - all I cared about was her comfort.
Just saw this, but immediately thought the same. Just SO many of these shooters on them and cannabis perhaps, but the frequency and duration of use on BOTH should be investigated, but proabably won't be. Not to mention the level of concentration in the cannabis used.
Of course, the Left is the party of 4-A:
Unlimited Abortion, multifaceted, child Abuse, condoning and encouraging Antisocial acts; and raw Antisemitism.
And you folks want to continue to tolerate and negotiate with that crap, good luck…
Let's see his toxicology tests post mortem to see exactly what was in his system. The better question for the mother is Was he taking any "medicines" as the term drugs denotes drugs of the street and not necessarily from the pharmacy. As the article shows, he was on anti-psychotic meds which was probably klonopin. Bad bad meds.
1. He had THC in his CAR.
2. People are prescribed anti-psychotic medications AFTER they become psychotic, not before.
3. Klonopin is a benzodiazepine for anxiety which patients experiencing psychosis usually have as well.
Really, let’s look at this piece by piece;
Wherever the THC is, if it has literally his handprints on it, it’s his.
Let’s talk about Seroquel on how it’s relentlessly abused by opiate addicts especially…
And finally, benzos, another drug that’s easily and irrationally recognized by abusers as legitimate because it’s a prescription.
Pay attention to the behaviors, not just vague insensitive “facts“…
The authorities will not release the post mortem.
It comes to light years later at trial. But the media has moved on to the next gun control (or CTE) story by then.
Since the killer is dead, will there be a trial? A criminal trial?
Could there be a civil trial for estate assets if he had any? At least in theory?
I see it's MD and not JD, but I thought I would ask your opinion.
I don't know the answer on the trials, but I think there should be some kind of investigation for at least two reasons.
1. For the victims and their families.
2. For society to try to learn why at least some people do things like this. The results of the investigation should be passed to the people who study this stuff and to the families of the victims. I'm not sure whether it should be made public.
What is needed is to close what’s called the “dead shooter loophole”. In most states toxicology reports cannot be released to the public because they are deemed (ridiculously) to be “protected health information” and the killer is legally innocent still. Colorado recently mandated toxicology reports on all murderers be collected but the data is only available for research purposes not to the media or subject to public information request. Presumably this could be done federally but there’s just not enough recognition yet by the public or our representatives. Heck Trump is apparently going to rubberstamp Biden’s rescheduling of marijuana which will supercharge these.
I can't speak for Tamura, but all I know for sure is that after decades of smoking weed, it was time for me to quit. Now 100% sober (I had already stopped drinking alcohol years ago), I finally knew the answer to, "Is the weed messing me up?" My mind is suddenly SO clear. And before anyone jumps all over for saying that, I'm only speaking for myself -- but as Alex has pointed out for years, lots of people have experienced the same thing, though far worse.
I am guessing that you didn't have thoughts of shooting people. I agree with the clear mind part, but weed makes you want to get along, not kill everyone. The killing thoughts come from parma meds.
You are correct. In general, weed doubtlessly makes people mellow, myself included. But as someone who has been observing others closebto me who have never or rarely given it a break since around, say, the Bicentennial, it's also doubtless that the effects of long-term CHRONIC use are potentially deleterious. And with the weed strength now at minor-hallucinogenic levels, it's only going to have a worse impact on people.
I tend to agree. Some people get their tolerance levels up so high and smoke non stop. The high concentrations can be a benefit in reducing the usage and result in less smoke.
Where I have a problem is when people ignore the Big Pharma drugs and go right to cannabis and start blaming it on everything. I am just not seeing it, even with chronic users I know.
I have a good friend who is divorcing his wife after 28 years of marriage due to a couple of violent domestic abuse incidents; in the second one, she brandished a pistol. What I noticed the last few times I visited them was that she was smoking pot and high all day. It’s anecdotal, but you can’t discount heavy marijuana use, especially when she was apparently not abusive before.
Not just anecdotal. THC use, mental illness, and violence create feedback loops.
Today's cannabis bears little resemblance to the pot widely available to my peers (70ish) in the 60s and 70s. People my age who advocate marijuana's legalization probably have no idea what is being unleashed on the public. Decriminalize it - fine. Legalize it - insanity.
Pot is not legal in WI but hemp was made legal in all states under the 2018 farm bill thereby legalizing weed in all states. That sh*t isn't any different than marijuana once you light it up.
Alex,
I read your book on cannabis and it is great. That is what got me reading your other books and pamphlets(after Elon said it was OK to sell). That eventually led me to your Substack. Great work, keep it up. Decades from now people will realize the harm from the drugs.
THC promotes psychosis. Psychosis promotes violence. These dots are not hard to connect once we dispense with the false notion that THC is benign. The increase in these "random" mass shootings don't correlate with gun ownership or any other factor as well as they do with increased potency and use of THC by young men. It will take alternative media to expose this first (as usual). The NYT and such are actually actively suppressing the information that would help the public connect the dots. See Berenson's reporting of NYT censoring their own report of Uvalde shooter Salvador Ramos and his Cannabis Use Disorder.
https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/urgent-the-new-york-times-has-edited/comments
Was he "vaxxed"? Certainly a reasonable question. Check out https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202504.1099/v1
This study, posted April 2025, reports an increase in various neuropsychiatric conditions with psychosis being the highest at a 440% increase in the vaxxed population. Hmmmm...
Alarming study!
Thank you for this. It was your book on the facts about marijuana and the cultural gaslighting, that brought you to my attention years ago. It is astounding to me the resistance there is out there to making people aware of the horrific dangers of this chemical. 30 years of brainwashing takes a toll. You have done yeoman's work to get this in the public eye.
I took my 8-year-old daughter to Sesame Place (Big Bird is alive and well btw) north of Philadelphia the other day. Going through Philadelphia there were dozens of billboards and the main themes were - cannabis stores, casinos, ambulance chasers, and plastic surgery. The ubiquity of gambling and cannabis is leading to devolution of this country. I also experienced multiple incidents of near accidents due to young minorities driving vehicles and weaving at high speed - well over 85 in 55 MPH zones. No signaling. Also, passed a number of "Pot Cars." It is unclear if the people were actually smoking because the stink becomes a part of the vehicle. The piece de resistance was the smelling of actual pot consumption at Sesame Place. On what planet have I landed where this could be thought to be a good idea or acceptable? Legalization or decriminalization has made many think they can a) drive while smoking and b) smoke it around children or in public places. It used to be people would be circumspect and get high and watch a movie at home or something like that. Now people flaunt it. Not to mention everything Alex has talked about. We need to have a reckoning here.
Gambling and cannabis are great ways to impoverish the citizenry too, making them dependent on government and likely to vote Dem and foment “class divisions “.
Excellent point. Name any supposedly “marginalized” group and you will see that they are disproportionally marijuana users.
But, but, but theres money to be made. Just like big pharma, cannabis companies seem willing and able to just ignore the facts as long as the money is flowing. With writing by people like Mr. Berenson at least some people can be saved. With enough money on the line it seems the will to change this is absent or at least weak.
While I agree with Alex on this... now that I've had a little space from the story, he and Luigi seem identical to me. In that, Tamura seemed to want the same notoriety in the same way. Maybe this comparison has already been made?
Great article, Alex. I'm presuming that if he had a significant hx of concussions in high school, that would have brought out by now, and his mother mentioning twice about his mj use is interesting. Thanks for your reporting on this, because we don't get this anywhere else (that I can think of...).
PA is debating recreational mj use in its legislature but hasn't been put into a bill...yet...we'll see if the Reps don't get bulldozed by the Dems...
Mobilize against it. There is no state that has passed recreational cannabis that is better off for it.
They are always bulldozed by the Dems. Did not know the legislature is debating about it. Will follow up with my rep and state senator.
Thanks for pointing this out. I have seen this in young men.
Articles like this is why I subscribe. Thank you for your work. Look forward to sharing with my family
Not only is cannabis doing this it’s also a gateway drug to using harder plus China has taken over using the supply chains to move fentanyl and methamphetamine from Vancouver to PEI and down to Maine and Vermont. The danger is real and we have legalized it. Yup. Death.