Cannabis Use May Cause Psychosis
The side effects of cannabis use have been debated extensively, with some experts advocating the legalization of cannabis due to its medicinal benefits. However, there have been multiple mental disorders connected with cannabis use, and it has not been fully understood whether the use of cannabis led to mental disorders or whether the drug was used to medicate against these effects.
While cannabis has been connected with psychotic symptoms, there has not been research performed to determine causality between cannabis and psychosis until now. A study published on the site www.bmj.com indicates that it may be possible to identify a causal relationship between cannabis and psychosis.
The researchers, led by Professor Jim van Os of Maastricht University, examined the connection between cannabis use and the presence of psychotic symptoms over a period of ten years. The research was conducted in Germany and recruited 1,923 individuals aged 14 to 24 years.
The team accepted only participants who had not previously used cannabis or reported incidence of psychotic symptoms so that the relationship between cannabis and psychosis could be investigated from the initiation of use.
Participants were measured for cannabis use and psychotic symptoms approximately every four years, with a total of three follow-ups over the course of the study.
The results of the analysis show that the use of cannabis significantly increased the risk of later psychosis symptoms, almost doubling the rate at which psychosis was developed. The results were consistent, even after researchers controlled for factors such as age, sex, socioeconomic status and the use of other drugs. In addition, for those who continued use of cannabis over the course of the study there was a risk of persistent psychotic symptoms.
The study did not provide information relating to self-medication uses of cannabis for symptoms of psychosis because participants were only used if they did not show symptoms of psychosis.
The authors of the study explain that the results are important because they provide clarifying information about the relationship between cannabis and psychosis.
The information gained in the study may be useful in prevention and education strategies used in schools to deter students from using cannabis. The most widely misused drug in the world, cannabis is often the first drug used by adolescents who decide to try a drug.
The connection between psychosis and cannabis use is the first research study to determine a causal relationship between cannabis and the presence of psychotic symptoms in individuals who use it.
