How to Talk About Cannabis with Young People Experiencing Psychosis
Both young people in psychosis treatment and their parents want respectful, non-judgmental cannabis conversations with good information, but struggle to understand each other's perspectives.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Four themes emerged: Respect for Developing Client Autonomy, 'Good Information' about Cannabis and Its Effects, Good Communication Process, and Conversations Complicated by Changing Norms. Clients and parents agreed on what makes conversations positive but had difficulty understanding each other's perspectives, with both feeling misunderstood.
Key Numbers
15 clients and 16 parents interviewed. Four themes identified. Both groups agreed on positive conversation elements but reported feeling misunderstood by each other.
How They Did This
Semi-structured interviews with 15 clients receiving Coordinated Specialty Care for first episode psychosis and 16 parents. Braun and Clark's six-phase thematic analysis applied to identify communication themes and preferences.
Why This Research Matters
Cannabis use is strongly linked to psychosis, yet conversations about it in clinical and family settings often go poorly. Both young people and parents want these conversations — they just need better tools and information.
The Bigger Picture
The tension between evolving cannabis norms (it's increasingly legal and accepted) and clinical realities (cannabis can worsen psychosis) creates a communication minefield. Interventions that bridge this gap could improve both treatment engagement and family relationships.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small qualitative sample from a specific clinical population. Clients were in Coordinated Specialty Care, which may not represent all psychosis treatment settings. Parent and client perspectives not matched pairs. Social desirability may affect responses.
Questions This Raises
- ?What specific communication interventions would help?
- ?How do clinicians navigate changing norms when counseling about cannabis and psychosis?
- ?Could structured family sessions improve understanding between parents and young adults?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Qualitative study provides rich insights into communication dynamics but cannot quantify prevalence or demonstrate intervention effectiveness.
- Study Age:
- Published 2026, reflecting evolving cannabis norms and their impact on psychosis care conversations.
- Original Title:
- Talking About Cannabis: Perspectives of First Episode Psychosis Care Participants and Parents.
- Published In:
- Journal of dual diagnosis, 22(1), 37-47 (2026)
- Authors:
- Lucksted, Alicia, Bencivengo, Donna, Saravana, Arunadevi, Boumaiz, Yasmine, Kreyenbuhl, Julie, Margolis, Russell L, Nayar, Swati, Rinehimer, Kathryn, Rouse, Krissa, Scheinberg, Rachel, Thomas, Elizabeth C, Walker, Denise D, Wolcott, Max, Burris, Elizabeth, Myers, Ladawn, Kelly, Christian, Swigart, Alison, Vatza, Crystal L, Brandt, Allison S, Sarpal, Deepak K, Goldberg, Richard W, Buchanan, Robert W, Moore, Tyler M, Jumper, Megan B E, Fooks, Amanda, Ered, Arielle, Caulkins, Monica E, Bennett, Melanie
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08447
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How should you talk to someone with psychosis about cannabis?
Both clients and parents identified key elements: respect their developing autonomy, provide accurate information without judgment, use good communication processes, and acknowledge that changing cannabis norms make these conversations complicated.
Why is talking about cannabis hard in families affected by psychosis?
Both young people and their parents want these conversations but report feeling misunderstood by each other. Changing societal norms around cannabis add another layer of difficulty when clinical evidence links cannabis to psychosis.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- THC-amygdala-anxiety-brain
- anandamide-weed-withdrawal
- cannabinoid-receptors-recovery-time
- cannabis-developing-brain-teenagers
- cant-enjoy-anything-without-weed
- dopamine-recovery-after-quitting-weed
- endocannabinoid-system-explained-simply
- endocannabinoid-system-withdrawal
- nervous-system-weed-withdrawal-fight-flight
- teen-weed-use-under-18-effects-brain
- thc-brain-withdrawal
- thc-prefrontal-cortex-brain-effects
- weed-cortisol-stress-hormones
- weed-memory-loss-recovery
- weed-motivation-amotivational-syndrome
- weed-nervous-system-effects
- weed-reward-system-brain
- cannabis-and-relationships-complete-guide
- cannabis-child-custody-case
- thc-and-antipsychotics-complicated-relationship
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08447APA
Lucksted, Alicia; Bencivengo, Donna; Saravana, Arunadevi; Boumaiz, Yasmine; Kreyenbuhl, Julie; Margolis, Russell L; Nayar, Swati; Rinehimer, Kathryn; Rouse, Krissa; Scheinberg, Rachel; Thomas, Elizabeth C; Walker, Denise D; Wolcott, Max; Burris, Elizabeth; Myers, Ladawn; Kelly, Christian; Swigart, Alison; Vatza, Crystal L; Brandt, Allison S; Sarpal, Deepak K; Goldberg, Richard W; Buchanan, Robert W; Moore, Tyler M; Jumper, Megan B E; Fooks, Amanda; Ered, Arielle; Caulkins, Monica E; Bennett, Melanie. (2026). Talking About Cannabis: Perspectives of First Episode Psychosis Care Participants and Parents.. Journal of dual diagnosis, 22(1), 37-47. https://doi.org/10.1080/15504263.2025.2606020
MLA
Lucksted, Alicia, et al. "Talking About Cannabis: Perspectives of First Episode Psychosis Care Participants and Parents.." Journal of dual diagnosis, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1080/15504263.2025.2606020
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Talking About Cannabis: Perspectives of First Episode Psycho..." RTHC-08447. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/lucksted-2026-talking-about-cannabis-perspectives
Access the Original Study
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.