News
Onset of psychotic illness early in marijuana users
According to a study recently published online in the Archives of General Psychiatry, the onset of psychotic illness is significantly earlier in marijuana users. Matthew Large, MD, of the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, and co-authors, examined data from more than 22,000 patients with psychosis and found that onset occurred nearly three years sooner among those who were marijuana users. Marijuana users were also found to have an earlier onset of psychosis than patients who were more broadly categorized as having engaged in substance abuse. The authors, commenting on the findings, said, “The results of this study provide strong evidence that reducing cannabis use could delay or even prevent some cases of psychosis.” Click here to read a blog from NPR that discusses this study more.
