Research continues to link marijuana use with psychosis.
Nationwide, many states have legalized marijuana to varying degrees, and the Trump Administration has moved to ease federal restrictions on the drug. But while policymakers push for more marijuana, scientific evidence continues to show that’s a bad idea.
Researchers at King’s College London recently published a study identifying the genetic pathways that connect marijuana use to psychosis.
The researchers identified 553 genetic markers associated with psychosis, and their analysis showed that far more biological pathways overlap between cannabis use disorder and psychosis than would be expected by chance.
Importantly, the study found marijuana use may be driving psychosis — not simply appealing to people who are already prone to psychosis.
We have written before how high-potency marijuana is linked to psychotic disorders. Modern marijuana can contain 15% to 30% THC — sometimes even 60% THC — compared to just 3% THC in marijuana from the 1960s. The higher the potency, the greater the risk there is to users.
We have also reported that cannabis use among people with a history of psychosis “sharply increased” in states where recreational marijuana was legalized. Teen psychiatric emergencies spiked in Massachusetts after marijuana commercialization began there as well.
In Arkansas, “medical” marijuana use has skyrocketed in recent years, and post-traumatic stress disorder is now the most common reason cited for “medical” marijuana use. But if marijuana is actually hurting people’s mental health, then it’s deeply concerning that so many Arkansans have been approved to use it for PTSD.
All of this simply underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
