Among 104 patients with psychotic disorders in Nuuk, Greenland, 68% had harmful cannabis use and over 80% were daily smokers.
Mental health professionals and indigenous health researchers.
68% of psychotic disorder patients had harmful cannabis use
What the researchers found
In 104 patients with psychotic disorders in Nuuk, 68% had harmful cannabis use, 80%+ were daily smokers, 50%+ had dyslipidemia, 25%+ obese, 18% hypertension, 6% diabetes.
Why it matters
Strikingly high cannabis use rates among psychotic disorder patients in an Arctic indigenous population with limited healthcare resources.
The numbers in context
104 patients (68 males, 36 females); mean age 40; 68% harmful cannabis use; 80%+ daily smokers
How the study worked
Retrospective analysis of Greenland's nationwide electronic medical records for 104 patients with psychotic disorders.
What this study cannot tell us
Small sample from single city. Cross-sectional. Limited generalizability.
How to read the evidence
Small descriptive study from a single city.
When this study was published
Published in 2024.
The bigger picture
Rare documentation of cannabis-psychosis associations in an Arctic indigenous population.
Questions still open
- Does high cannabis use worsen psychotic symptom management?
- What culturally appropriate interventions might help?
Common questions
Why is this notable?
Does cannabis cause psychotic disorders?
Read the original research
Substance use and lifestyle risk factors for somatic disorders among psychiatric patients in Greenland.
International journal of circumpolar health, 83(1), 2421049
Citation
Nielsen, Ida Margrethe; Sørensen, Lisbeth Uhrskov; Wichmand, Søren; Heilmann, Parnûna; Pedersen, Michael Lynge. (2024). Substance use and lifestyle risk factors for somatic disorders among psychiatric patients in Greenland.. International journal of circumpolar health, 83(1), 2421049. https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2024.2421049
Explore the wider topic
- How THC Affects Your Amygdala: The Brain's Threat Detector and Cannabis
- The Anandamide Connection: Your Body's Natural Bliss Molecule
- How Long for Cannabinoid Receptors to Return to Normal
- Cannabis and the Developing Brain: What Every Teenager (and Parent) Should Know
- Why Can't I Enjoy Anything Without Weed? The Science Behind It
- Dopamine Recovery After Quitting Weed: What the Science Says
- The Endocannabinoid System Explained Simply: What It Does and Why It Matters
- Your Endocannabinoid System Explained: Why Withdrawal Happens
- Your Nervous System After Quitting Weed: Fight or Flight
- Using Weed Under 18: What It Does to Your Developing Brain
- What THC Does to Your Brain: Why Withdrawal Happens
- THC and Your Prefrontal Cortex: What Cannabis Does to Your Decision-Making Brain
- Weed, Cortisol, and Stress: What Cannabis Does to Your Stress Hormones
- Weed and Memory: What the Science Says About THC and Your Hippocampus
- Weed and Motivation: Is Amotivational Syndrome Real?
- Weed and Your Nervous System: What THC Actually Does to Your Brain and Body
- How Weed Rewires Your Reward System (And How to Reset It)