Associations Between Cannabis, Psychosis, and Schizophrenia in Adolescents
Lauren Moment, Null Null
Academic Leadership Journal in Student Research 2022 DOI: 10.58809/dbkn1868 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Cannabis CBD |
| Keywords | Psychosis Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Effects of cannabis Clinical psychology Young adult Developmental psychology |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Persistent cannabis use during adolescence is associated with higher rates of schizophrenia diagnoses, but a causal relationship has not been established. |
Abstract
The effects of cannabis use on the brain, mind, and body have been studied for decades. The developing brain, particularly the adolescent and young adult brain, undergoes critical development that makes it especially susceptible to the effects of cannabis use. Among the adverse effects of cannabis use in adolescence and young adulthood, psychosis and psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia) have been examined. The association of cannabis use with schizophrenia was first elucidated in a Swedish study of army conscripts. Specifically, conscripts reported their cannabis use exposure and were followed longitudinally to assess the emergence of schizophrenia. The authors found that those who reported persistent cannabis use during adolescence had higher rates of schizophrenia diagnoses.\r Notwithstanding this correlation, a causal relationship has not yet been established between adolescent cannabis use and schizophrenia. Some believe that in the premorbid phase of schizophrenia, one may self-medicate with cannabis, accounting for the correlational relationship. However, this evidence is not supported by the literature. Prolonged, frequent use of exogenous cannabinoids such as phytocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids perturb the endocannabinoid system, particularly during the critical period of adolescence. Many researchers believe this perturbation contributes to psychosis and the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. In this review, I demonstrate how cannabis may contribute to symptoms of psychosis and associated with diagnoses of schizophrenia. PubMed and Google Scholar were used with the following search terms "cannabis-induced psychosis" AND schizophrenia. These search terms were narrowed by clicking on "adolescent." Also, based on the diathesis-stress model, I explored how cannabis may be one of many neurological insults leading to the onset of schizophrenia. In the future, research should be conducted focusing on other drugs as a trigger for schizophrenia.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Causal association between cannabis and psychosis: examination of the evidence | 2004 | Review | |
| Cannabis sativa: A comprehensive ethnopharmacological review of a medicinal plant with a long history. General (historical and pharmacological review) | 2018 | Review | |
| Psychiatric effects of cannabis | 2001 | Review | |
| Beyond THC: The New Generation of Cannabinoid Designer Drugs | 2011 | Review | |
| Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug | 2006 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 18
- Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research April 1, 2006
- Continued cannabis use and risk of incidence and persistence of psychotic symptoms: 10 year follow-up cohort study BMJ March 1, 2011
- Cannabis use before age 15 and subsequent executive functioning The British Journal of Psychiatry May 31, 2011
- Age-related differences in the impact of cannabis use on the brain and cognition: a systematic review European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience January 24, 2019
- Associations between Adolescent Cannabis Use and Brain Structure in Psychosis Psychiatry Research Neuroimaging March 28, 2018
and 13 more in the library