- A study recently published in Lancet Psychiatry suggest that regular cannabis consumers may be \ risking their mental health.
- According to the study, there's a connection between regular cannabis use and the development of psychosis.
- In addition to the frequency of cannabis use, the researchers noticed that the incidence of psychosis correlated positively with more potent cannabis strains.
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The use of cannabis has risen sharply in many places in recent years, partially as a result of relaxed legal regulations around its consumption and sale.
While some enjoy its intoxicating effects, others may benefit from its pain-relieving and antispasmodic qualities too.
But a study recently published in Lancet Psychiatry suggests that regular cannabis consumers may be risking their mental health.
The studies and debate surrounding marijuana and psychiatric conditions certainly aren't anything new; from the US to Western Europe, the drug's reputation has swung from the conservative opinion that it's dangerous and can lead to criminal behavior to the more liberal stance that it's a natural, risk-free medicinal substance.
According to researchers at Marta Di Forti at King's College, London, however, there's a clear link between regular cannabis use and the development of psychosis.
As part of their study, the London researchers examined a total of 2,138 people from 11 locations in the UK, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Brazil.
901 of the study participants were people who had suffered from psychosis for the first time between 2010 and 2015, while the remaining participants served as a control group. Both groups were asked about the amount of cannabis they consumed, the frequency with which they consumed it, as well as the strength of what they were using. They also had to provide information on other factors, such as the use of other drugs and their employment status.
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In total, 29% of those with the condition said they used cannabis daily, while 37% said they used mostly strong varieties. In the control group, 7% said they consumed cannabis on a daily basis and only 19% reported using stronger cannabis varieties.
Overall, subjects who consumed cannabis on a daily basis were three times more likely to suffer from psychosis than non-users.
In addition to the link between the frequency of cannabis use and psychosis, the researchers noticed that the frequency of psychoses increased with higher tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content.
THC, which is a cannabinoid, is a naturally occurring element in cannabis plants. The substance influences signal transmission in nerve cells and can trigger an intoxicating effect within the body.
According to the study, daily use of cannabis with a THC content of more than 10%, increased the risk of psychosis by a factor of five.
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More and more cannabis products with higher THC contents are now available, with many consumers looking to intensify the high they experience.
"Our findings confirm previous evidence of the harmful effect on the mental health of daily use of cannabis, especially of high-potency types," said lead researcher Di Forti.
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These results should be treated with caution.
Whether cannabis is a trigger for mental illness independently of these factors can't be determined with this study alone.
As Eva Hoch from the University Hospital in Munich explained in Süddeutsche Zeitung, there are numerous other factors that can lead to psychosis: "Even a study as methodically sound as this one won't succeed in recording and controlling all possible disease risks as influencing factors."
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