Cannabis Use in Autism: Reasons for Concern about Risk for Psychosis
Riccardo Bortoletto, Marco Colizzi
Healthcare August 16, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10081553 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Cannabinoid exposure in autism spectrum individuals may cause intergenerationally inherited epigenetic effects that increase psychosis risk, supporting a developmental trajectory between autism and psychosis. |
Abstract
Being particularly vulnerable to the pro-psychotic effects of cannabinoid exposure, autism spectrum individuals present with an increased risk of psychosis, which may be passed on to their own children. More specifically, cannabis exposure among autism spectrum individuals seems to exert disruptive epigenetic effects that can be intergenerationally inherited in brain areas which play a critical role in schizophrenia pathophysiology. Additionally, because of such cannabinoid-induced epigenetic effects, autism candidate genes present with bivalent chromatin markings which make them more vulnerable to subsequent disruption, possibly leading to psychosis onset later in life. Thus, findings support a developmental trajectory between autism and psychosis, as per endocannabinoid system modulation. However, such evidence has not received the attention it deserves.
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 8
- Unraveling the Intoxicating and Therapeutic Effects of Cannabis Ingredients on Psychosis and Cognition Frontiers in Psychology May 14, 2020
- Psychotomimetic symptoms after a moderate dose of a synthetic cannabinoid (JWH-018): implications for psychosis Psychopharmacology January 26, 2021
- Cannabis use in Adolescence and Risk of Psychosis: Are there Factors that Moderate this Relationship? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Substance Abuse February 22, 2021
- Is there sufficient evidence that cannabis use is a risk factor for psychosis? 2020
- The Effect of Age of Initiation of Cannabis Use on Psychosis, Depression, and Anxiety among Youth under 25 Years The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry May 1, 2019
and 3 more in the library