BMJ 2002;325:1183-1184 ( 23 November )

Editorials

Cannabis and mental health

More evidence establishes clear link between use of cannabis and psychiatric illness

Papers pp 1195, 1199, 1212

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In the 1990s the use of cannabis increased much among young people so that it is now becoming more common than tobacco smoking in some countries.1-2 The ready availability of the drug, the increasing social disapproval of cigarette smoking, stern drink driving laws, and perceptions that cannabis is safe or less harmful than cigarettes or alcohol may explain these changes. The increase in use is of concern because cannabis may be a gateway to other drugs,3 and it may cause psychiatric illnesses. The link between cannabis and psychosis is well established, and recent studies have found a link between use of marijuana and depression.4-7 Does cannabis cause these conditions, or do patients use cannabis to relieve their distress?

The explanation most accepted is that cannabis triggers the onset or relapse of schizophrenia in predisposed people and also exacerbates the symptoms generally. 4 5 Establishing direction of causality is difficult and is most . . . [Full text of this article]
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Relevant Articles

Cannabis use and mental health in young people: cohort study
George C Patton, Carolyn Coffey, John B Carlin, Louisa Degenhardt, Michael Lynskey, and Wayne Hall
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Self reported cannabis use as a risk factor for schizophrenia in Swedish conscripts of 1969: historical cohort study
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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Atakan, Z. (2008). Cannabis use by people with severe mental illness - is it important?. Adv. Psychiatr. Treat. 14: 423-431 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Junginger, J., Claypoole, K. (2006). . Psychiatr. Serv. 57: 1512-1512 [Full text]  
  • Skosnik, P. D., Krishnan, G. P., Aydt, E. E., Kuhlenshmidt, H. A., O'Donnell, B. F. (2006). Psychophysiological Evidence of Altered Neural Synchronization in Cannabis Use: Relationship to Schizotypy. Am. J. Psychiatry 163: 1798-1805 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Frisher, M., Crome, I., Macleod, J., Millson, D., Croft, P. (2005). Substance misuse and psychiatric illness: prospective observational study using the general practice research database. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 59: 847-850 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • LEWIS, S. W., TARRIER, N., DRAKE, R. J. (2005). Integrating non-drug treatments in early schizophrenia. Br. J. Psychiatry 187: s65-s71 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Lynskey, M. T., Glowinski, A. L., Todorov, A. A., Bucholz, K. K., Madden, P. A. F., Nelson, E. C., Statham, D. J., Martin, N. G., Heath, A. C. (2004). Major Depressive Disorder, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicide Attempt in Twins Discordant for Cannabis Dependence and Early-Onset Cannabis Use. Arch Gen Psychiatry 61: 1026-1032 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Verity, R. (2004). Cannabis reclassification. Psychiatr. Bull. 28: 343-344 [Full text]  
  • Henry, J. A, Oldfield, W. L G, Kon, O. M. (2003). Comparing cannabis with tobacco. BMJ 326: 942-943 [Full text]  
  • (2003). Cannabis and Mental Disorders. JWatch Psychiatry 2003: 11-11 [Full text]  
  • (2002). Cannabis and Mental Disorders. JWatch General 2002: 3-3 [Full text]  

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