Psychosis and Marijuana use is not anything new, fact there are many studies that show a direct correlation and bothersome trend.
This is very real, and should be taken very seriously as..
Over 30 different studies (Medscape.com) in the past 20 years have supported the correlation between drug consumption and mental disorders such as schizophrenia.
A review published in the May 2008 issue of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry proposes that marijuana use causes and excess production of dopamine, which may trigger psychosis.
These studies found that the risk of developing schizophrenia rose in proportion to the following factors: A biological predisposition, the age of participants when they started using marijuana (with younger age increasing the risk), and the frequency/amount of marijuana regularly consumed.
While it is difficult to pinpoint an biological predisposition, people with a certain genetic makeup who then use marijuana may increase their risk of developing psychosis tenfold.
For example, if family history shows someone has a 6% risk, and then uses marijuana, that risk increases to 60%. Additionally, those who smoke daily over long periods of time increase their risk by 200%. While this is clearly a generalization, it has powerful implications.
Because the brain continues to develop into one’s twenties, those who use marijuana before the age of 21 are at highest risk.
This is not a subject that should be taken lightly, with dopamine being the common denominator, the idea that you are safe from psychosis because you are careful will lead to a undesired state. Do you want to take that risk for a short term high?
Published May 14, 2014, a more recent article by Medscape, the additional research on ‘Teen Marijuana Use Linked to Earlier Psychosis Onset’ represents additional concern for those using.
This is a very real threat and should not be taken lightly.
