The link between cannabis use and psychosis: furthering the debate
Psychological Medicine December 23, 2002 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291702007080 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Citations | 34 |
| Key findings | Argues that the association between cannabis use and psychosis warrants attention due to high cannabis use rates among psychotic patients, plausible psychotomimetic effects, and correlations with negative clinical outcomes, but does not establish a definitive causal relationship. |
Abstract
The issue of whether an association exists between cannabis and psychosis exists, and why, has received considerable attention in recent years (Hall, 1998; Mueser et al. 1998; Blanchard et al. 2000; Degenhardt & Hall, 2002). There are probably a number of reasons for the sustained interest. First, psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are often chronic or recurring (Mason et al. 1996), are associated with significant disability (Keith et al. 1991) and they place a considerable burden upon the community at large (Hall et al. 1985; Knapp, 1997). Secondly, over the past few decades, high rates of cannabis use and use disorders have been observed among persons with schizophrenia and other psychoses (Barbee et al. 1989; Fowler et al. 1998), suggesting the possibility that cannabis use may be causally related to psychotic disorders. Thirdly, given what is known about the psychotomimetic effects of cannabis (Hall et al. 2001), it is plausible that high doses of cannabis may produce psychotic symptoms. Finally, clinical research with persons with psychotic disorders has found that problematical substance use is correlated with a range of negative outcomes including relapse, rehospitalization, poor medication compliance, poorer social functioning and increased treatment costs (Salyers & Mueser, 2001), suggesting drug use may be related to worsened clinical outcomes.
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 5
- Is “cannabis psychosis” a distinct category? European Psychiatry 1992
- Cannabis use and psychosis: a review of clinical and epidemiological evidence. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry February 1, 2000
- Cannabis use and psychosis. Drug and Alcohol Review December 1, 1998
- Cannabis consumption as a prognostic factor in schizophrenia. The British Journal of Psychiatry May 1994
- Cannabis and psychosis. Is there epidemiological evidence for an association? The British Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1990