May 17, 2024

Researchers Discover Shared Genetic Basis for Cannabis Use and Psychiatric Disorders

The usage rate of cannabis appears to be raised amongst individuals suffering from disorders associated with psychosis, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
“This research study shows that there is a shared hereditary basis underlying our vulnerability to both marijuana usage and certain psychiatric conditions. These findings may show that a subset of the population is at high risk for both cannabis use and psychiatric disorders, based on their hereditary propensity”, lead author Weiqiu Cheng states.
“Shared genetic variants with opposing effects may suggest the presence of biological systems that could support the beneficial effects of marijuana”, the researchers point out.

This current study, led by Drs. Weiqiu Cheng and Nadine Parker, supplies evidence that shared genetic aspects underlie this relationship. “This study shows that there is a shared hereditary basis underlying our susceptibility to both marijuana usage and specific psychiatric conditions. These findings may show that a subset of the population is at high risk for both cannabis use and psychiatric conditions, based upon their genetic tendency”, lead author Weiqiu Cheng states.
Utilizing innovative analytical modeling, the research study reveals that most of shared variations increase the risk of both marijuana usage and developing either schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder. Still, there are some genetic variants with opposing results, that increase the danger of marijuana use while reducing the threat of the two psychiatric conditions, recommending a complex relationship.
” These findings are necessary as they reveal that the complex links between cannabis use and these conditions might not only be triggered by cannabis use itself but could also be driven by shared genetic susceptibility”, researcher Nadine Parker says.
Marijuana is used medicinally for the relief of pain and as an antidepressant in some areas of the world. Also, one component of marijuana is being considered as a prospective treatment for psychosis. “Shared hereditary variations with opposing results might recommend the existence of biological mechanisms that could support the beneficial impacts of cannabis”, the researchers point out.
These new findings have several important medical implications. Firstly, this details may result in individualized care consisting of preventative and interventional procedures for high-risk people. This may include lowering marijuana use amongst people at high hereditary danger for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Second of all, future studies investigating the biological impacts of the shared genetic variants may contribute to the advancement of more targeted treatment efforts. The enhanced knowledge about hereditary overlap can be used to help stratify patients for more customized treatment plans.
Recommendation: “The relationship in between cannabis use, schizophrenia, and bipolar affective disorder: a genetically notified research study” by Weiqiu Cheng, Nadine Parker, Naz Karadag, Elise Koch, Guy Hindley, Romain Icick, Alexey Shadrin, Kevin S OConnell, Thomas Bjella, Shahram Bahrami, Zillur Rahman, Markos Tesfaye, Piotr Jaholkowski, Linn Rødevand, Børge Holen, Trine Vik Lagerberg, Nils Eiel Steen, Srdjan Djurovic, Anders M Dale, Oleksandr Frei and Ole A Andreassen, 17 May 2023, The Lancet Psychiatry.DOI: 10.1016/ S2215-0366( 23 )00143-8.

A study from the University of Oslo has actually discovered a shared genetic basis for marijuana use and psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, recommending that a subset of the population may have a higher genetic danger for both. This discovery could have considerable clinical implications, such as notifying customized preventive procedures, targeted treatments, and more specialized client stratification.
A current study published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry, led by the University of Oslo, reveals a shared hereditary basis for cannabis usage and psychiatric conditions including schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder. The research recommends that a specific group of people might be genetically predisposed to a heightened danger of both delighting in cannabis and establishing psychiatric conditions.
The connection in between marijuana usage and psychiatric ailments has long been a contentious subject. Cannabis, being a psychedelic compound, can periodically trigger signs resembling psychosis. Additionally, the consumption rate of cannabis appears to be elevated amongst individuals struggling with disorders connected with psychosis, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Hereditary factors play an essential role in identifying a persons vulnerability to developing psychiatric disorders or their likelihood of using cannabis. Some of the genetic versions associated with cannabis usage are also connected to psychiatric disorders.