By Patrick S. Edwards,
Cannabis has become increasingly accepted across America. As legalization expands and dispensaries become more common, marijuana is often viewed as harmless. However, a growing body of scientific research suggests that regular use, particularly of today’s high potency products, can carry serious mental health risks.
One of the most concerning is cannabis induced psychosis.
Psychosis is a condition in which a person loses touch with reality. Symptoms can include hallucinations, paranoia, delusional thinking, confusion, and difficulty distinguishing what is real from what is not. A person experiencing cannabis induced psychosis may believe someone is following them, hear voices that are not there, or become convinced that everyday events have hidden meanings directed at them.
While some people recover after stopping cannabis use, others go on to develop severe psychiatric illnesses that can permanently change the course of their lives.
One of the largest and most respected studies on this subject was conducted in Denmark and published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Researchers followed 6,788 people who had experienced substance induced psychosis between 1994 and 2014. Their findings were striking. Nearly 47.4 percent of those diagnosed with cannabis induced psychosis later developed either schizophrenia spectrum disorder or bipolar disorder. Among those who developed schizophrenia, half received that diagnosis within just over three years of their initial psychotic episode.
These findings should not be misunderstood. The study did not conclude that 47 percent of people with cannabis psychosis develop schizophrenia alone. The percentage includes both schizophrenia spectrum disorders and bipolar disorder. Even so, cannabis induced psychosis carried the highest risk of progressing to a serious psychiatric illness of any substance studied.
Another important factor is the strength of today’s cannabis. Marijuana is far more potent than it was several decades ago. Many products now sold in dispensaries contain extremely high levels of THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient responsible for the intoxicating effects of cannabis. Concentrated oils, vape cartridges, waxes, and other cannabis extracts can deliver THC levels that were rarely seen in previous generations.
Research published in The Lancet Psychiatry found that people who use high potency cannabis every day are significantly more likely to develop psychotic disorders than those who never use cannabis. The combination of frequent use and high THC concentrations appears to create the greatest level of risk.
Scientists have identified several factors that increase a person’s likelihood of developing cannabis related psychosis. Beginning marijuana use during adolescence is one of the strongest risk factors because the brain continues developing into the mid twenties. Daily or near daily use also increases risk, especially when high THC products are involved. Individuals with a family history of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders appear to be more vulnerable, as do those who continue using cannabis after experiencing paranoia, hallucinations, or other warning signs.
Researchers believe cannabis does not create schizophrenia in everyone who uses it. Instead, it may trigger the illness earlier in people who already have an underlying genetic or biological vulnerability. For those individuals, cannabis may act as the catalyst that brings a serious mental illness to the surface.
Young men appear to face an especially elevated risk. A large population study from Denmark found a strong association between cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia, particularly among males between the ages of 16 and 25. The findings have prompted renewed concern among psychiatrists and public health experts as increasingly potent cannabis products become more widely available.
The warning signs should never be ignored. Persistent paranoia, hearing voices, severe confusion, irrational beliefs, dramatic personality changes, extreme anxiety, or withdrawal from family and friends may signal the onset of psychosis. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should stop using cannabis immediately and seek medical evaluation as soon as possible.
The purpose of this information is not to create fear or suggest that everyone who uses marijuana will develop schizophrenia. Most users will not. However, the scientific evidence clearly shows that cannabis is not without risk. For some individuals, especially young people who regularly use high potency products, the consequences can be life changing.
Cannabis induced psychosis is a real medical condition. It deserves serious attention from families, educators, healthcare professionals, and anyone who believes marijuana is completely harmless.
