A recent study by researchers from St. Louis’ Washington University has found that teenagers who use marijuana experience more signs of psychosis spectrum and higher levels of distress due to the symptoms. This suggests that both self-medication and shared vulnerability play a role in linking marijuana use to an increased risk of psychosis.
Previous research indicates that teenagers who use marijuana have a two to four times higher risk of developing psychosis than their non-user counterparts. Marijuana usage that starts in youth is frequently linked to more intense symptoms, a higher chance of relapse, and an earlier beginning of psychotic illnesses.
Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug among teenagers, and its usage has grown significantly over the last 20 years, doubling from 11 percent to 22 percent. During the same period, teenagers’ perception of the risks associated with marijuana use has declined. For example, the proportion of adolescents who view weekly marijuana use as harmful has dropped from 36.3 percent to 25 percent.
There is ongoing debate about the relationship between psychosis and adolescent marijuana use, with researchers proposing several hypotheses to explain this connection, including self-medication, contributing risk, and shared vulnerability theories.
The contributing risk theory suggests that marijuana disrupts brain development during adolescence, triggering psychosis and worsening its progression. The shared vulnerability theory argues that environmental, genetic, or prenatal factors may increase susceptibility to both psychosis and marijuana use, meaning these two phenomena stem from common origins. Lastly, the self-medication theory proposes that a person may use marijuana to relieve symptoms of psychosis, such as distress or discomfort.
Although previous studies have provided evidence for all three theories, more research on early adolescence is needed. A study in JAMA Psychiatry tracked 11,868 participants aged 9 to 10 and examined psychosis symptoms before and after marijuana use. It found no consistent evidence for the contributing risk theory, as marijuana use did not reliably increase psychosis symptoms.
However, teens who used marijuana at any point in the study reported more psychosis symptoms and greater distress than non-users, supporting the shared vulnerability theory. Additionally, researchers observed an increase in psychosis symptoms and related distress before the initiation of marijuana use, supporting the self-medication theory.
Overall, the recent study suggests that the relationship between psychosis and marijuana use is more likely explained by self-medication and shared vulnerability rather than marijuana being a direct cause of psychosis.
The creation of legal marijuana markets in different jurisdictions not only allows marijuana companies and allied businesses like Innovative Industrial Properties Inc. (NYSE: IIPR) to operate, it also creates safeguards like age restrictions that prevent adolescents from accessing marijuana products. Such measures can avert the risks that come from underage individuals using marijuana.
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