A new study has found yet another link between schizophrenia and marijuana. The study, coming out of Denmark, found that associations between the two have risen since 1995. That year, 2% of schizophrenia diagnoses were associated with marijuana. That number rose to 4% in 2000, and 8% since 2010.
An author of the study emphasizes the need for more studies before conclusive data comes out, but the more studies we see linking psychosis to high potency marijuana, the more the link solidifies.
“Of course, our findings will have to be replicated elsewhere before firm conclusions can be drawn,” says Carsten Hjorthøj, author the Denmark study. “But I do feel fairly confident that we will see similar patterns in places where problematic use of cannabis has increased, or where the potency of cannabis has increased, since many studies suggest that high-potency cannabis is probably the driver of the association with schizophrenia.”
This would all bring forth the assumption that schizophrenia has increased over the years if more prevalent marijuana use is a cause of new cases. According to an article at CNN, it’s been difficult to gauge the exact amount of cases, considering the complexity of a diagnosis and its typical pairing with other mental disabilities. So, it’s thought to have been rather constant over time.
The authors of the this Denmark study dove into this issue, and found a “general increase in the incidence of schizophrenia that has been observed in recent years” in their country. According to Hjorthøj, this could support the “long-observed association between cannabis and schizophrenia is likely partially causal in nature.”
The study didn’t break down whether or not the amounts of THC potency had any influence on schizophrenia diagnoses, but that seems to be backed up by other smaller studies.
Read the full story at CNN.
