The NHS advises that regular cannabis use increases the risk of developing a psychotic illness and the risk is higher when use begins at a young age ALEXANDER BECHER/EPA
Cannabis is more likely to be taken by schizophrenics trying to self-medicate than to cause the disorder, a study suggests.
The largest study yet of genes and predisposition to schizophrenia and cannabis use looked at anonymised data from 180,000 people.
The researchers identified 35 genes associated with cannabis use, with the strongest associations in the gene CADM2. “CADM2 has already been associated with risky behaviour, personality and alcohol use,” said Jacqueline Vink of Radboud University the Netherlands, the study’s lead author.
“That is not a big surprise, because previous studies have often shown that cannabis use and schizophrenia are associated with each other. However, we also studied whether this association is causal. Our study showed that people with a vulnerability to develop schizophrenia are at…
cbgz10 on August 28th, 2018 at 20:54 UTC »
People gleefully ignore that correlation does not mean causation...
Live2ride86 on August 28th, 2018 at 19:57 UTC »
Did people ever think it caused schizophrenia? I thought it could just trigger symptoms in those already suffering from it?
snoboreddotcom on August 28th, 2018 at 19:04 UTC »
A quick summary is that they are actually looking at the link in those with genes predisposed. The study is not about if it causes it but if it increases it appearing in those predisposed. Their findings are that this is not the case, as they found more schizophrenics were self medicating with it, thus creating a casual relationship.
The title doesn't quite communicate correctly what the study is about