Adolescents who use cannabis could face a significantly higher risk of developing serious psychiatric disorders by young adulthood, according to a large new study published today in JAMA Health Forum. The longitudinal study followed 463,396 adolescents ages 13 to 17 through age 26 and found that past-year cannabis use during adolescence was associated with a significantly higher risk of incident psychotic (doubled), bipolar (doubled), depressive and anxiety disorders.
The study analyzed electronic health record data from routine pediatric visits between 2016 and 2023. Cannabis use preceded psychiatric diagnoses by an average of 1.7 to 2.3 years. The study’s longitudinal design strengthens evidence that adolescent cannabis exposure is a potential risk factor for developing mental illness.
Unlike many prior studies, the research examined any self-reported past-year cannabis use, with universal screening of teens during standard pediatric care, rather than focusing only on heavy use or cannabis use disorder.
The study also found that cannabis use was more common among adolescents enrolled in Medicaid and those living in more socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods, raising concerns that expanding cannabis commercialization could exacerbate existing mental health disparities.
Additionally, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are both heritable conditions, and if a parent or grandparent has one of these diagnoses, the family is significantly more likely to also be experiencing poverty or other adverse events, which in turn makes it more likely that the predisposed child will develop the inherited condition.
The author's used statistical control methods for socioeconomic factors.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2845356
Also fake news.
Again correlation (assumed) does not make causation. There is literally no gene for these symptoms.
Schizophrena is a multi-allelic gene disorder, multiple genes contribute. There is not one schizophrenia gene, but there is a clear genetic component.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3433970/
You're just going around saying "correlation doesn't equal causation" to everything regardless of context. Feel free to expound.
No, there definitely isn't "a gene" for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, just like there isn't "a gene" for hair or eye color, two other traits that are highly heritable.
Here's just one source for you on this, and there are many more if you care to take a look:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5445022/
You cannot discuss marijuana risks on the internet without triggering pot users.
Since legalization, the landscape of pediatrics has changed in Canada to address THC-related disorders. And we have a whole new class of risk in adults from cannabis use disorder.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37766508/
The internet will not accept this, and keep the lie alive that cannabis is not addictive. No, we have not seen friends burn out on pot and remove themselves from life.
"cannabis is not addictive"
true.
edit - "friends burn out on pot and remove themselves from life" - this is an impressively far reach. wow
Oh sheesh. It runs in families. They're saying growing up with a schizophrenic parent exposes you to stress that makes you more likely to indulge in pot. Their point stands.