High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis

British Journal of Psychiatry - Tập 195 Số 6 - Trang 488-491 - 2009
Marta Di Forti1, Craig Morgan2, Paola Dazzan3, Carmine M. Pariante4, Valeria Mondelli4, Tiago Reis Marques, Rowena Handley, Sonija Luzi, Manuela Russo, Alessandra Paparelli, Alexander Butt5, Simona A. Stilo, Ben Wiffen, John Powell6, Robin Murray3
1Inst Psychiat, Dept Psychiat
2Health Service & Population Research
3Psychosis Studies
4Psychological Medicine
5Springfield Univ Hosp, St Georges & SW Thames NHS Trust
6Basic and Clinical Neuroscience

Tóm tắt

BackgroundPeople who use cannabis have an increased risk of psychosis an effect attributed to the active ingredient δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). There has recently been concern over an increase in the concentration of Δ9-THC in the cannabis available in many countries.AimsTo investigate whether people with a first episode of psychosis were particularly likely to use high-potency cannabis.MethodWe collected information on cannabis use from 280 cases presenting with a first episode of psychosis to the South London & Maudsley National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, and from 174 healthy controls recruited from the local population.ResultsThere was no significant difference between cases and controls in whether they had ever taken cannabis, or age at first use. However, those in the cases group were more likely to be current daily users (OR = 6.4) and to have smoked cannabis for more than 5 years (OR = 2.1). Among those who used cannabis, 78% of the cases group used high-potency cannabis (sinsemilla, ‘skunk’) compared with 37% of the control group (OR 6.8).ConclusionsThe finding that people with a first episode of psychosis had smoked higher-potency cannabis, for longer and with greater frequency, than a healthy control group is consistent with the hypothesis that Δ9-THC is the active ingredient increasing risk of psychosis. This has important public health implications, given the increased availability and use of high-potency cannabis.

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Thông tin xuất bản

British Journal of Psychiatry

Tập 195 Số 6

488-491

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