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

The takeaway

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.

People interested in synthetic cannabinoids, substance-related psychosis, or how different substances affect psychiatric hospitalization.

Both SC and cannabis groups had shorter hospital stays than the no-drug group

What the researchers 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.

Why it 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 numbers in context

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 the study worked

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.

What this study cannot 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.

How to read the evidence

Moderate: adequate sample for cannabis and no-drug groups, but small SC group; retrospective single-site design.

When this study was published

Published in 2019.

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.

Questions still open

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?

Common 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.

Read the original research

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

View on PubMed ↗

Citation

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.