Does Marijuana Use Cause Schizophrenia?

As the drug becomes more popular, concerns have been raised that its use can lead to psychotic disorders. Here’s what scientists know for sure, and what they don’t.

 More Teens Who Use Marijuana Are Suffering From Psychosis

More potent cannabis and more frequent use are contributing to higher rates of psychosis, especially in young people.

Adolescent brains exposed to THC are at higher risk of psychiatric disorders

THC exposure during adolescence may cause microglial cell death and brain changes, increasing schizophrenia risks in genetically susceptible individuals.

Cannabis Is Linked to Mental Illness

A major new study shows that people who abuse the drug a.e more likely to be diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder.

Cannabis, Psychosis, and the Legal Implications: Chicken or Egg?

Additionally, although risk of cannabis use in triggering psychosis is recognized, the risk of use on ongoing psychotic disorders and in the exacerbation of other disorders (involving mood, concentration, and other symptoms) are not fully understood.

Daily Marijuana Use And Highly Potent Weed Linked To Psychosis

Weed use is taking off as more states move to legalize it. And with all the buzz over medical marijuana, it's starting to gain an aura of healthfulness. But there are some serious health risks associated with frequent use. One of the more troubling ones is the risk of having a psychotic episode.

Does marijuana use really cause psychotic disorders?

Alex Berenson says the drug causes ‘sharp increases in murders and aggravated assaults’. As scientists, we find his claims misinformed and reckless.

High-potency cannabis, or frequent use, raises the risk of psychosis

In London and Amsterdam, a third or more new psychoses are related.

If cannabis is getting stronger, why aren’t cases of schizophrenia rising?

Although several studies suggest that cannabis users have a higher risk of developing schizophrenia, one key point remains hotly contested. Since the 1960s, cannabis potency and rates of use have risen in many Western countries with high-potency strains now dominating the market. If cannabis were a cause of psychosis, we would expect that, as this increased, rates of schizophrenia would increase alongside it. But this has not happened.

NIDA's Director Tells Us What We Know—and Need to Know—About Marijuana

I don't like to say one drug is better or worse than another; each must be viewed within its own context. Tobacco is clearly the number one killer among drugs. On the other hand, when you smoke a cigarette, it doesn't impair your brain's cognitive capacity. That's very different from drinking alcohol or smoking marijuana.

One in four people who have had cannabis-induced psychosis develop schizophrenia

People who have developed psychoses from getting high from cannabis have an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. The risk is much greater than if someone in your close family has had the diagnosis. Young men in particular are at risk.

The Left-wing obsession with cannabis could destroy an entire generation

A new study suggests that almost a third of schizophrenia cases in young men had been triggered by regular use of the drug.

Which Came First, The Cannabis Or The Schizophrenia?

Within the timeframe of the legalization of recreational cannabis, there's been a rise in cannabis “use disorder” and the diagnosis of schizophrenia. It's become a chicken or egg which-came-first problem. A new study suggests cannabis is the gateway, creating 15% of new cases of schizophrenia annually.