Traditional marijuana, high‐potency cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids: increasing risk for psychosis
Robin Murray, Harriet Quigley, Diego Quattrone, Amir Englund, Marta Di Forti
World Psychiatry September 22, 2016 DOI: 10.1002/wps.20341 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Citations | 319 |
| Key findings | The authors conclude that cannabis use is a component cause of psychosis, supported by epidemiological dose-response evidence and experiments in which tetrahydrocannabinol induced transient psychosis in healthy subjects. High-potency cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids pose the greatest risk, and risks are magnified when use starts in early adolescence. They argue this evidence is sufficient to justify public health messages about the risks, especially of regular high-potency cannabis and synthetic cannabinoid use. |
Abstract
Epidemiological evidence demonstrates that cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of psychotic outcomes, and confirms a dose-response relationship between the level of use and the risk of later psychosis. High-potency cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids carry the greatest risk. Experimental administration of tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient of cannabis, induces transient psychosis in normal subjects, but this effect can be ameliorated by co-administration of cannabidiol. This latter is a constituent of traditional hashish, but is largely absent from modern high-potency forms of cannabis. Argument continues over the extent to which genetic predisposition is correlated to, or interacts with, cannabis use, and what proportion of psychosis could be prevented by minimizing heavy use. As yet, there is not convincing evidence that cannabis use increases risk of other psychiatric disorders, but there are no such doubts concerning its detrimental effect on cognitive function. All of the negative aspects are magnified if use starts in early adolescence. Irrespective of whether use of cannabis is decriminalized or legalized, the evidence that it is a component cause of psychosis is now sufficient for public health messages outlining the risk, especially of regular use of high-potency cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids.
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 41
- Cannabis and Psychosis: Are We any Closer to Understanding the Relationship? Current Psychiatry Reports June 4, 2019
- Rates and correlates of cannabis-associated psychotic symptoms in over 230,000 people who use cannabis Translational Psychiatry September 6, 2022
- Duration of Untreated Disorder and Cannabis Use: An Observational Study on a Cohort of Young Italian Patients Experiencing Psychotic Experiences and Dissociative Symptoms International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health November 30, 2021
- Functional effects of synthetic cannabinoids versus Δ9 -THC in mice on body temperature, nociceptive threshold, anxiety, cognition, locomotor/exploratory parameters and depression. Addiction Biology May 1, 2019
- Repeated Exposure to the “Spice” Cannabinoid JWH-018 Induces Tolerance and Enhances Responsiveness to 5-HT1A Receptor Stimulation in Male Rats Frontiers in Psychiatry February 27, 2018
and 36 more in the library
Cites 31
- High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis The British Journal of Psychiatry November 30, 2009
- Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment Journal of Psychopharmacology October 5, 2012
- Novel psychoactive substances of interest for psychiatry World Psychiatry February 1, 2016
- “Spiceophrenia”: a systematic overview of “Spice”‐related psychopathological issues and a case report Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental July 1, 2013
- Neurophysiological and subjective profile of marijuana with varying concentrations of cannabinoids Behavioural Pharmacology September 1, 2005
and 26 more in the library