Consuming cannabis won’t make you go crazy, but according to a new study, high concentration of THC regularly could lead to an increased risk of breakthrough psychosis. A report published in the journal by the name Lancet Psychiatry suggests that regular use of cannabis products with more than 10% THC could actually be harmful to mental health.
Dr. Marta Di Forti is the lead author of the study. She stated that “psychotic disorder” was the primary focus of the research. The study was looking to identify a potential link between regular consumption of high THC cannabis products and these specific diagnostic criteria. She stated the following in regards.
“We are talking about people who meet diagnostic criteria [and] come to the attention of mental health services to receive treatment for psychosis. So they have to have symptoms of psychosis across the spectrum — so hallucination, delusion — that have lasted at least for a week.”
The Study Conclusions
The study conducted concludes that those who utilize high potency THC products daily could be three times more likely to develop a psychosis style disorder. This is in comparison to individuals who do not consume cannabis regularly. Di Forti is a clinician-scientist at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King’s College in London. She joined forces with her co-authors to examine data collected from five different countries in Europe.
Data was obtained from the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, the UK, and France. In addition, they also collected data from Brazil where cannabis is still currently illegal. The study looked at accounts of 901 patients that had a breakthrough episode of psychosis over five years. The data from these patients was compared to that of 1,237 other “matched non-patients” according to CNN. What they concluded was that about 30% of patients who had suffered a psychosis episode reported using cannabis regularly. 37% of those patients also reported the use of high-potency cannabis products.
Things to Consider and a Growing Concern
The conclusions of this study do not suggest that cannabis use will make you go crazy. Nor do they state that it will cause you to suffer from psychosis. What it warns is that there is a data connection between breakthrough psychosis episodes and individuals who utilize high potency cannabis. The potency of cannabis products has been a growing concern for many in recent years. This is because in the 60s and 70s the average cannabis that you would find on the street contained less than 10% THC. Today there are cannabis products on the market such as certain cannabis extracts that test over 60 and 70% THC.
Vigilance is a Must with Anything You Consume
As with anything that you consume regularly it’s crucial to know the science behind the effects it may produce. Cannabis is a relatively safe product. One that doesn’t cause fatalities or major complications. However, it is still a very complex plant that we will continue to learn more about in time.