Even though some experts claim the association between cannabis use and psychosis is exaggerated, a recent study found a connection between high-potency cannabis addiction and a higher risk of psychosis. However, another study that was just released in the “Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences” journal offers a different viewpoint, concluding that cannabis usage does not raise the chance of psychosis, even in people who are predisposed to the condition.
The study was carried out by an international team of researchers from Europe, Australia and the United Kingdom. The authors discuss the background of previous research on this particular topic, pointing out that there have been few prospective studies on it and that the direction of this relationship is still up for debate.
The researchers state that the study’s main objective was to investigate the relationship between cannabis usage and the prevalence of psychotic illnesses in individuals with a clinically high risk of developing psychosis. Additionally, the researchers wanted to determine whether cannabis usage was associated with functional outcomes as well as the duration of psychotic symptoms.
The study included 67 healthy control volunteers as the baseline and 334 people who were identified as highly susceptible to developing psychosis. The subjects were then monitored by the researchers over the course of two years using a modified Marijuana Experience Questionnaire. The psychotic disorder developed in 16.2% of individuals in the highly susceptible cohort, with 51.4% of those who did not experience psychosis reporting persistent symptoms while 48.6% were in remission.
The authors concluded that there was no significant correlation between any baseline measure of cannabis usage and functional outcome, symptom persistence or transition to psychosis. The team continued by pointing out that its results were at odds with epidemiological evidence that suggests cannabis usage raises the incidence of psychotic illness.
Although the results are in opposition to several recent studies on marijuana and psychosis, there may be more to this discussion than first appears. According to a 2016 review of earlier data published by the Lancet, reducing or quitting cannabis use altogether can help people who are already experiencing psychosis. This effectively demonstrates that there is no causal link between cannabis use and psychosis.
While studies suggest that chronic marijuana-induced psychosis is relatively uncommon in the general population, psychosis patients may use marijuana and other drugs more frequently than other people.
This study notably demonstrated that prior cannabis usage is not linked to a higher risk of developing psychosis, even in people who are predisposed to the condition. The authors acknowledged that further research is required to fully understand the connection between cannabis use and outcomes related to mental health, but they also suggested that these findings may serve to alter current views on healthcare and policy.
The development of pharmaceutical-grade formulations from marijuana compounds by entities such as IGC Pharma Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) could help to shift attitudes further in a way that people will increasingly view it as a plant with therapeutic benefits and not as one that can only be used recreationally.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to IGC Pharma Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/IGC
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