Teenagers who use cannabis are at 11 times higher risk of developing a psychotic disorder, according to a study on Wednesday.
The study, published in the journal
Psychological Medicine, is the first to show an age-dependent association
between self-reported cannabis use and subsequent psychotic disorder diagnosis.
It suggests that the association
between cannabis and psychotic disorders may be stronger than indicated by
previous research.
"We found a very strong
association between cannabis use and risk of psychotic disorder in adolescence.
Surprisingly, we didn't find evidence of association in young adulthood,"
said lead author Andre McDonald, a postdoctoral fellow at Medicinal Cannabis
Research at McMaster University, Canada.
"These findings are consistent
with the neurodevelopmental theory that teenagers are especially vulnerable to
the effects of cannabis," he added.
The team surveyed data from over
11,000 youth in Ontario and found that "most teenagers who are diagnosed
with a psychotic disorder likely have a history of cannabis use".
The study adds to worries about
early cannabis use, particularly as commercialised cannabis products, with a
higher psychoactive compound, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC content, have become
more widely available.
THC is known to affect thinking,
learning, and remembering, create anxiety, panic, or paranoia, and lead to a
faster heart rate and increase in blood pressure.
The expert called for developing
prevention strategies targeting teenagers.
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