Synthetic cannabinoid users with psychotic disorders don't stay in the hospital longer than cannabis users

Q: Are synthetic cannabinoids worse for mental health than cannabis?

This study found no significant difference in hospital stay length or antipsychotic doses between synthetic cannabinoid and cannabis users with psychotic disorders. However, this only measures acute hospitalization, not long-term effects.

Q: Why did drug users have shorter hospital stays than non-users?

The study suggests substance-related psychotic episodes may resolve faster once the drug clears the system, while psychosis in non-users may represent more chronic, treatment-resistant illness.

Psychiatric inpatients who used synthetic cannabinoids did not have longer hospital stays or require higher antipsychotic doses than cannabis users, while both groups had shorter stays than non-drug users.

Deng, Huiqiong et al.·Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs·2019·Moderate EvidenceRetrospective Cohort

Synthetic Cannabinoids (180)Psychosis (531)Mental Health (840)

Quick Facts

Study Type

Retrospective Cohort

Evidence

Moderate Evidence

Sample

N=77

What This Study Found

Cannabis users had significantly shorter hospital stays (8.02 days) and lower antipsychotic doses than the no-drug group (10.19 days). Synthetic cannabinoid users (8.29 days) did not differ significantly from either group on length of stay or medication doses.

Key Numbers

Hospital stay: SC group 8.29 days, cannabis group 8.02 days, no-drug group 10.19 days (p < .001). Antipsychotic doses (chlorpromazine equivalents): SC 254.64 mg, cannabis 219.16 mg, no-drug 294.79 mg (p = .002). SC group: n=77, cannabis: n=248, no-drug: n=1,336.

How They Did This

Retrospective medical records review of 1,661 psychiatric inpatients with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or other psychotic disorders, comparing synthetic cannabinoid users (n=77), cannabis users (n=248), and non-drug users (n=1,336) on hospital stay length and antipsychotic doses at discharge.

Why This Research Matters

Synthetic cannabinoids are often assumed to cause more severe psychiatric episodes than natural cannabis. This study found that's not reflected in hospital stay duration or medication needs, challenging assumptions about relative acute psychiatric impact.

The Bigger Picture

The finding that drug-using groups had shorter hospital stays than non-users is counterintuitive. It may reflect that substance-related psychotic episodes resolve faster once the substance clears, while non-substance psychosis represents more persistent illness requiring longer stabilization.

What This Study Doesn't Tell Us

Small synthetic cannabinoid group (n=77) limits statistical power. SC use was self-reported without urine confirmation. Retrospective design. Single-site study. Doesn't capture readmission rates or long-term outcomes. Multiple SC compounds were likely involved but not differentiated.

Questions This Raises

?Why did both substance-using groups have shorter stays than non-users?
?Would specific synthetic cannabinoid compounds show different psychiatric profiles?
?Do SC users have higher readmission rates that this study couldn't capture?

Trust & Context

Key Stat:: Both SC and cannabis groups had shorter hospital stays than the no-drug group
Evidence Grade:: Moderate: adequate sample for cannabis and no-drug groups, but small SC group; retrospective single-site design.
Study Age:: Published in 2019.
Original Title:: Hospital Stay in Synthetic Cannabinoid Users With Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, or Other Psychotic Disorders Compared With Cannabis Users.
Published In:: Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 80(2), 230-235 (2019)
Authors:: Deng, Huiqiong(2), Desai, Pratikkumar V, Mohite, Satyajit, Okusaga, Olaoluwa O, Zhang, Xiang Yang, Nielsen, David A, Kosten, Thomas R
Database ID:: RTHC-02008

Evidence Hierarchy

Meta-Analysis / Systematic Review

Randomized Controlled Trial

Cohort / Case-ControlFollows or compares groups over time

This study

Cross-Sectional / Observational

Case Report / Animal Study

Looks back at existing records to find patterns.

What do these levels mean? →

Frequently Asked Questions

Are synthetic cannabinoids worse for mental health than cannabis?

This study found no significant difference in hospital stay length or antipsychotic doses between synthetic cannabinoid and cannabis users with psychotic disorders. However, this only measures acute hospitalization, not long-term effects.

Why did drug users have shorter hospital stays than non-users?

The study suggests substance-related psychotic episodes may resolve faster once the drug clears the system, while psychosis in non-users may represent more chronic, treatment-resistant illness.

Cite This Study

RTHC-02008·https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02008

APA

Deng, Huiqiong; Desai, Pratikkumar V; Mohite, Satyajit; Okusaga, Olaoluwa O; Zhang, Xiang Yang; Nielsen, David A; Kosten, Thomas R. (2019). Hospital Stay in Synthetic Cannabinoid Users With Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, or Other Psychotic Disorders Compared With Cannabis Users.. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 80(2), 230-235.

MLA

Deng, Huiqiong, et al. "Hospital Stay in Synthetic Cannabinoid Users With Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, or Other Psychotic Disorders Compared With Cannabis Users.." Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 2019.

RethinkTHC

RethinkTHC Research Database. "Hospital Stay in Synthetic Cannabinoid Users With Bipolar Di..." RTHC-02008. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/deng-2019-hospital-stay-in-synthetic

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Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.

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