Is there sufficient evidence that cannabis use is a risk factor for psychosis?
Marco Colizzi, Sagnik Bhattacharyya
2020 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-813201-2.00016-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review |
|---|---|
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Convergent evidence from prospective and experimental studies indicates a causal relationship between cannabis use and psychosis, with modest overall effect size but heightened risk among frequent users, users of potent cannabis, and those with specific vulnerabilities. |
Abstract
Abstract Accumulating evidence suggests an association between cannabis use and psychosis. However, some concerns have been raised about the nature of this association, particularly whether it might be driven by other factors such as use of other substances. Another explanation would bring into play preexisting differences among cannabis users and nonusers in terms of psychosis-related symptomatology that would make cannabis users more prone to develop psychosis. Moreover, it has been argued that people with psychosis may use cannabis more in an attempt to self-medicate, thus implying that psychosis may itself predispose to cannabis use. Finally, evidence of a common genetic background predisposing to both psychosis and cannabis use would weaken the strength of any direct detrimental effect of cannabis use on later development of psychosis. The aim of this chapter is to bring together the available evidence specifically exploring the causality of the association between cannabis use and psychosis and to discuss it along with cause–effect criteria such as magnitude of the association, consistency of findings from other studies, specificity of the association, temporal sequence of association, biological gradient, coherence and experimental proof, and biological plausibility. Collectively, there is robust evidence for an association between cannabis use and psychosis. Convergent evidence from prospective and experimental studies points in the direction of a causal relationship. Although the size of the effect appears modest, the psychosis-inducing effects of cannabis may be particularly high among frequent users, users of potent forms of cannabis, and in the context of specific genetic or neurobiological vulnerability.
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
Cited by 5
- Unraveling the Intoxicating and Therapeutic Effects of Cannabis Ingredients on Psychosis and Cognition Frontiers in Psychology May 14, 2020
- Differential sensitivity to the acute psychotomimetic effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol associated with its differential acute effects on glial function and cortisol Psychological Medicine October 27, 2020
- Recommendations for Reducing the Risk of Cannabis Use-Related Adverse Psychosis Outcomes: A Public Mental Health-Oriented Evidence Review Journal of dual diagnosis July 3, 2023
- Can we interrogate public databases to fill critical gaps in mental health epidemiology? Testing the association between cannabis and psychosis in the UK as an example Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences 2023
- Cannabis Use in Autism: Reasons for Concern about Risk for Psychosis Healthcare August 16, 2022
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and 35 more in the library