New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London, in partnership with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, reveals that has that a genetic propensity for schizophrenia and frequent use of cannabis are independently linked to the development of clinical psychosis.
We know very well that there is an association between cannabis and psychosis. But genetics compounding into this cocktail is unclear, although scientists have been calculating relevant statistics, this study involving 1592 participants from EU-GEI and 145,244 participants from UK Biobank.
Researchers looked specifically at genetic mechanisms triggered when a heavy use of cannabis led to psychosis and schizophrenia.
Unsurprisingly, it was people who were using high potency cannabis (with a Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of at least 10%) on a daily basis for years that developed schizophrenia.
The probability remained the same when genetic propensity was factored in, meaning that people without a genetic tendency still developed psychosis in the same rhythm from smoking so much weed — however, the highest risk is obviously for those with both genetic predisposition and with significant usage.
In other words, there is no interaction between the two, researchers say.
In any case, preventive measures are encouraged.
