A research study reveals teens utilizing marijuana may be 11 times most likely to develop a psychotic condition than non-users. This relationship appears particularly strong during teenage years, highlighting the increased strength of cannabis as a significant element. Credit: SciTechDaily.comResearch links teen cannabis use to a significantly greater danger of psychotic conditions, emphasizing the impact of increased THC potency.A brand-new study released today (May 22) in the journal Psychological Medicine estimates that teens using marijuana are at an 11 times higher risk of developing a psychotic condition compared to teenagers not utilizing cannabis.This finding recommends that the association between marijuana and psychotic disorders might be more powerful than indicated by previous research study, which has actually relied largely on older information when cannabis was less potent than today. For context, the typical THC strength of cannabis in Canada has actually increased from approximately 1% in 1980 to 20% in 2018. Researchers from the University of Toronto, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and ICES, linked recent population-based survey information from over 11,000 youth in Ontario, Canada, to health service use records including hospitalizations, emergency situation department (ED) check outs, and outpatient visits.The study is the very first to show an age-dependent association between self-reported marijuana usage and subsequent psychotic condition medical diagnosis, which contributes to a growing body of research on the mental health dangers connected with cannabis.A new research study reveals that teens utilizing cannabis are at 11 times greater danger of developing a psychotic condition compared to teens not utilizing cannabis. Credit: ICESInsights From the Lead Researcher” We discovered a really strong association in between cannabis usage and risk of psychotic disorder in adolescence. Surprisingly, we didnt find evidence of association in young adulthood,” states lead author André McDonald, who carried out the research study at ICES as part of his PhD at the University of Toronto. McDonald is now a postdoctoral fellow at the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research and the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research at McMaster University. “These findings follow the neurodevelopmental theory that teens are especially susceptible to the results of marijuana.” Of the teenagers who were hospitalized or checked out an ED for a psychotic disorder, approximately 5 in 6 had actually previously reported marijuana usage. McDonald points out that, “the huge bulk of teens who use marijuana will not establish a psychotic condition, but according to these data, many teenagers who are diagnosed with a psychotic condition likely have a history of cannabis usage.” Limitations and ImplicationsThe researchers could not completely dismiss reverse causation, in that teenagers with psychotic signs might have been self-medicating with marijuana before getting a scientific medical diagnosis. They also might not represent potentially crucial aspects such as genetics and history of injury. These limitations make it impossible to say definitively that teenager cannabis use causes psychotic disorders. The authors also note that their price quotes are just approximate, recommending that more studies with larger samples are required.Concerns and Preventive MeasuresDespite these limitations, the findings include to fret about early cannabis usage, particularly in the wake of legalization.” As commercialized marijuana products have actually become more extensively readily available, and have a greater THC content, the advancement of prevention strategies targeting teenagers is more vital than ever,” says senior author Susan Bondy, an affiliate scientist at ICES and associate professor at the University of Torontos Dalla Lana School of Public Health.McDonald adds, “Canadian youth are among the heaviest users of marijuana in the world. The bottom line is that more needs to be done to prevent early cannabis use if we follow the precautionary principle.” Reference: “Age-dependent association of cannabis use with threat of psychotic condition” by McDonald AJ, Kurdyak P, Rehm J, Roerecke M, Bondy SJ, 22 May 2024, Psychological Medicine.DOI: 10.1017/ S0033291724000990.
Credit: SciTechDaily.comResearch links teen cannabis use to a considerably greater risk of psychotic conditions, highlighting the impact of increased THC potency.A brand-new study released today (May 22) in the journal Psychological Medicine estimates that teens utilizing cannabis are at an 11 times greater threat of developing a psychotic condition compared to teenagers not using cannabis.This finding recommends that the association in between marijuana and psychotic disorders might be more powerful than shown by previous research, which has relied mainly on older data when marijuana was less potent than today. Researchers from the University of Toronto, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and ICES, linked recent population-based study data from over 11,000 youth in Ontario, Canada, to health service use records consisting of hospitalizations, emergency situation department (ED) visits, and outpatient visits.The research study is the first to reveal an age-dependent association between self-reported cannabis use and subsequent psychotic disorder medical diagnosis, which adds to a growing body of research study on the psychological health threats associated with cannabis.A brand-new research study reveals that teens utilizing cannabis are at 11 times greater danger of developing a psychotic disorder compared to teens not using cannabis. McDonald points out that, “the large bulk of teens who utilize cannabis will not establish a psychotic disorder, but according to these data, most teenagers who are detected with a psychotic condition likely have a history of marijuana usage.