Does cannabis use cause schizophrenia? The epidemiological evidence
Stanley Zammit, Louise Arseneault, Robin Murray
Cambridge University Press eBooks October 27, 2011 DOI: 10.1017/cbo9780511706080.016 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Cannabis impairs attention, memory, executive function, and inhibition during acute intoxication, and long-term heavy use is consistently associated with impaired verbal memory on word list learning tasks. The authors propose that people with schizophrenia may be more vulnerable to these adverse cognitive effects. |
Abstract
This chapter updates our knowledge of the short- and long-term effects of cannabis on cognition based on integrating evidence from the most recent literature on this topic. Numerous studies have examined the acute effects of cannabis on human cognition. Cannabis induces perceptual distortions and impairs memory and concentration during acute intoxication. Studies of long-term and heavy cannabis users have continued to investigate residual or persistent effects of cannabis on cognitive function. Verbal memory is consistently impaired in chronic cannabis users, with impaired performance on word list learning tasks. It might be expected that people with schizophrenia who are already cognitively impaired may be even more vulnerable to the adverse effects of cannabis on cognition. Cognitive functions, encompassing attentional, memory, executive and inhibitory processes are impaired during both acute intoxication period and following long-term use of cannabis.
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 7
- High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis The British Journal of Psychiatry November 30, 2009
- Cannabis and schizophrenia: model projections of the impact of the rise in cannabis use on historical and future trends in schizophrenia in England and Wales Addiction February 10, 2007
- Does normal developmental expression of psychosis combine with environmental risk to cause persistence of psychosis? A psychosis proneness–persistence model Psychological Medicine April 1, 2007
- What are the Policy Implications of the Evidence on Cannabis and Psychosis? The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry August 1, 2006
- Early adolescent cannabis exposure and positive and negative dimensions of psychosis Addiction October 1, 2004
and 2 more in the library