Cannabis-Psychosis Connection Weaker Than Previously Thought, Study Of 201,000 Individuals Shows
Cannabis exposure and its link to psychosis has long been a topic of scientific inquiry, although there are still significant gaps in understanding why and how prevalent these episodes are.
A new comprehensive analysis, aggregating data from over 201,000 participants, seeks to clarify this relationship.
While individual studies have previously reported a wide range of psychosis incidences among cannabis users, from as low as 1% to as high as 70%, this new analysis narrows it down. The study suggests that approximately one in 200 users (0.5%) may experience a psychotic episode, characterized by symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions and paranoia.
Published June 3 in Nature Mental Health, the new study notes that “no research has yet synthesized and compared the findings obtained from different study designs and populations.”
Historically, studies have suggested that genetic factors, particularly genes associated with schizophrenia, …