Cannabis-induced psychotic disorder with onset during withdrawal: a brief report of emerging evidence
J. Pinto Cohen, Hugues Petitjean, Maira Belén Blasco, Romina Mizrahi
Acta Neuropsychiatrica January 11, 2024 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2023.60 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case series (systematic observational report) Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 8 |
| Population | Patients presenting to a major emergency room in Montreal between January 2020 and September 2023 with psychotic symptoms following cannabis cessation |
| Duration | January 2020 to September 2023 (case ascertainment period) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | Eight patients (seven male, one female) presented with acute psychotic symptoms at the peak of cannabis withdrawal, representing less than 1% of all emergency service admissions. The authors describe this as the first publication of an observational systematic report of cannabis-induced psychotic disorder with onset during withdrawal and propose hypotheses based on the endocannabinoid system and dopamine homeostasis. |
Abstract
Objectives: The link between cannabis use and psychotic symptoms or disorders is well known. However, the relation between cannabis withdrawal and psychotic symptoms is less studied.
Methods: To our knowledge, this is the first publication of an observational systematic report of cannabis-induced psychotic disorder with onset during withdrawal. Here, we review patients presenting to a major emergency room in Montreal between January 2020 and September 2023 in a context of psychotic symptoms following cannabis cessation.
Results: In total, seven male and one female patients presented at the peak of cannabis withdrawal with acute psychotic symptoms, representing less than 1% of all emergency service admissions.
Conclusions: We discuss current knowledge regarding the endocannabinoid system and dopamine homeostasis to formulate hypotheses regarding these observations.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychotic Reactions Following Cannabis Use in East Indians Patients at an Indian drug addiction clinic who developed acute cannabis-related psychosis | 1974 | Descriptive report (case series of clinical observations) | n = 200 |
| Psychiatric effects of cannabis use Swedish cases of cannabis psychosis | 1985 | Case series | n = 70 |
| Forty-Six Cases of Psychosis in Cannabis Abusers Gunila Bernhardson Habitual cannabis users treated for psychosis at Swedish psychiatric clinics and mental... | 1972 | Case series (retrospective survey of psychiatric records) | n = 46 |
| Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder after psilocybin consumption: a case study 18-year-old man with HPPD after mixed psilocybin and cannabis intoxication | 2005 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Cannabis‐induced Koro in Americans American men aged 22-26 with years of cannabis experience who reported negative... | 2001 | Case series | n = 3 |