Review examines the complex overlap between cannabis use and psychosis in young people
Cannabis use increases risk for both attenuated and acute psychotic symptoms in youth, may worsen psychosis in those with underlying vulnerability, and treatment approaches that integrate substance use with psychosis care are most promising.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Cannabis use is associated with increased risk of psychotic symptoms (both subthreshold and full), exacerbation of psychosis in vulnerable youth, and worse outcomes in established psychotic disorders. Integrated treatment addressing both cannabis and psychosis shows the most promise.
Key Numbers
Review covers both attenuated (subthreshold) and acute psychotic symptoms. Cannabis use increases risk for psychosis onset and worsens outcomes in those with existing psychotic disorders.
How They Did This
Narrative review of research on the overlap between cannabis use and psychosis in young people, covering risk relationships, mechanisms, and treatment approaches.
Why This Research Matters
Cannabis use and psychosis onset both peak in adolescence and young adulthood. Understanding how they interact is critical for prevention and for treating the growing number of young people with co-occurring cannabis use and psychotic symptoms.
The Bigger Picture
The cannabis-psychosis relationship is one of the most well-established and clinically important findings in cannabis research. As youth cannabis use becomes normalized, the proportion of psychosis cases attributable to cannabis may increase.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Narrative review without systematic methodology. Cannot provide pooled effect estimates. Covers a broad topic with varied evidence quality across subtopics.
Questions This Raises
- ?At what level of cannabis use does psychosis risk become clinically significant?
- ?Can interventions targeting cannabis use in high-risk youth prevent psychosis onset?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Cannabis increases risk for both subthreshold and acute psychotic symptoms in youth
- Evidence Grade:
- Narrative review synthesizing a well-established body of evidence. Useful overview but without quantitative synthesis.
- Study Age:
- Published 2023.
- Original Title:
- Cannabis and Psychosis.
- Published In:
- Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America, 32(1), 69-83 (2023)
- Authors:
- West, Michelle L, Sharif, Shadi
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05023
Evidence Hierarchy
Summarizes existing research on a topic.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis cause psychosis in teenagers?
Cannabis use is an established risk factor for psychosis, and the risk appears highest in young people with genetic vulnerability or early-onset heavy use. It increases the likelihood of both subthreshold psychotic experiences and full psychotic disorders, but not everyone who uses cannabis develops psychosis.
How should cannabis use and psychosis be treated together?
The review suggests that integrated treatment approaches addressing both cannabis use and psychotic symptoms simultaneously are more effective than treating them separately. This includes incorporating substance use assessment into psychosis treatment and vice versa.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05023APA
West, Michelle L; Sharif, Shadi. (2023). Cannabis and Psychosis.. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America, 32(1), 69-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2022.07.004
MLA
West, Michelle L, et al. "Cannabis and Psychosis.." Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2022.07.004
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis and Psychosis." RTHC-05023. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/west-2023-cannabis-and-psychosis
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.