Since the dawn of prohibitionism, many have claimed that cannabis can make one go "crazy", i.e. cause disturbances such as psychosis or schizophrenia. But is all this true?
No, cannabis does not cause psychosis, or at least there is no scientific evidence that can definitively affirm or deny it. The scientific debate is still open and since there are different experts and studies carried out, often arriving at different results, it is necessary to make the right clarifications.
Today we are going to examine the research most valid and recent on the subject in order to then draw the most accurate conclusions and guidelines to follow.
The relationship between cannabis and psychosis: studies
The first distinction what needs to be done is between cannabis with high CBD content and THC-rich cannabis.
Starting from the second, one study scientific paper from Harvard University, published in 2013 in the journal Schizophrenia Research, highlighted that "it is not the consumption of cannabis itself to cause psychosis".
The group of researchers, led by the professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School Lynn DeLisi, compared the family histories of 108 patients with schizophrenia and 171 people without schizophrenia to determine whether cannabis use contributed to the development of the disorder, concluding that: previous episodes of schizophrenia in the family increase the risk of developing the disease, regardless whether or not you use cannabis.
A completely different story for CBD-rich cannabis. Cannabidiol which has proven particularly effective in the therapeutic field, also as natural antipsychotic.
The first testimony comes from one study of 2012, thanks to a group of researchers who compared the CBD and amisulpride, a powerful antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia.
In addition to the improvements found in both cases, the research results highlighted the potential of CBD in the treatment of acute schizophrenia, on a par with traditional antipsychotics, but without all its side effects.
In 2014, in fact, one study published in the magazine Neuropsychopharmacology he returned to investigate the properties of CBD as an antipsychotic. The scientists concluded that: “The compound may have antipsychotic properties,” but with advantages over traditional drugs, includingabsence of side effects obvious.
Same conclusion that some researchers from King's College London reached in 2017: that is, that cannabidiol boasts good antipsychotics without though bring the side effects of conventional drugs, which CBD does not have.
| Must read: "Does CBD have side effects? Let's clarify"
Cannabis use and predisposition to psychosis
Published in the magazine Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and conducted by a group of researchers from Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom, one of the most recent studies on the subject has confirmed that the use of cannabis it does not increase the risk of developing psychosis, even in subjects who are predisposed to it.
The research, wanting to evaluate the incidence of cannabis use in clinically at risk subjects, monitored it for approximately two years 334 individuals at high risk of developing psychosis and 67 healthy control subjects.
In follow-up, 16.2% of the high-risk clinical sample developed psychosis. Among those who did not develop psychosis, 51.4% had persistent symptoms and 48.6% were in remission. "There was no association significant between any measure of baseline cannabis use and transition to psychosis, persistence of symptoms, or functional outcome – the authors said, adding that these findings “contrast with epidemiological data suggesting that cannabis use increases the risk of psychotic disorders.”
Consuming cannabis in case of psychosis
One research of 2016 published by The Lancet focused on the effects of regular versus interrupted cannabis use after the onset of psychosis.
Analyzing the evidence available so far, the researchers concluded that reducing cannabis use is necessary, as: "continued use of cannabis after the onset of psychosis predicts adverse outcomes, including higher relapse rates, longer hospital stays, and more severe positive symptoms compared to people who discontinue cannabis use and those who do not use cannabis."
Can cannabis cause psychotic disorders?
Based on the research conducted so far, and awaiting new research that can definitively clarify the relationship between cannabis and psychosis, we can conclude that:
- it is better not to consume cannabis in adolescent age, that is, when our brain has not yet fully developed;
- CBD is a safe product from important people antipsychotic effects, which however does not have the side effects of conventional drugs;
- there is no definitive scientific evidence who associate the consumption of cannabis with THC with an increased risk of psychosis, not even among genetically predisposed subjects;
- finally, the consumption of high THC cannabis is not recommended for people who have already developed psychotic disorders.
