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High-Potency Cannabis Linked With Addiction, Other Disorders
People who use high-potency cannabis are more likely to experience addiction than those who use low-potency products, according to a new study conducted at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom. High-potency cannabis users are also more likely to experience a psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia, the study found.
Findings were published in The Lancet Psychiatry.
Researchers conducted a systematic analysis of the relationship between the types of cannabis people use, and their addiction and/or mental health problems. A total of 20 prior studies encompassing nearly 120,000 participants were reviewed.
In a news release announcing their findings, the researchers noted that a previously documented rise of high-potency cannabis could help explain the 76% increase in individuals entering treatment for cannabis addiction in the past decade, according to data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
“These results are important in the context of harm reduction which aims to minimize the negative consequences associated with drug use,” study lead author Kat Petrilli, Department of Psychology, University of Bath, said in the release. “While the safest level of use for cannabis is of course ‘no use,’ it is important to acknowledge that a significant number of people across the world use cannabis regularly and to ensure they can make informed decisions that could reduce any possible harms associated with it.”
The researchers added that despite anecdotal evidence of links between cannabis, anxiety, and depression, links between cannabis potency and other mental health problems remain unclear.
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