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Cannabis users and schizophrenia patients “share genes” (25 June 2014)

Date: 25/06/2014
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Cannabis users and schizophrenia patients “share genes”

The findings of a new study show that people with schizophrenia and drug users who smoke cannabis share similar genes – and suggest that cannabis users may be more likely to develop schizophrenia than those who do not use cannabis.

The link between cannabis use and mental health conditions has previously been suggested by the results of other scientific studies.

The Daily Mail reports that a team at the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London investigated a group of 2,082 people, of whom approximately half (1,011) had used cannabis.

PhD student Robert Power from the Institute of Psychiatry said that the researchers wanted to explore whether cannabis users could have a higher risk for mental health conditions like schizophrenia because of “a direct cause and effect” – or whether there are common shared genes in cannabis users and schizophrenia patients, which could predispose individuals to both cannabis use and schizophrenia.

The researchers measured the “genetic risk profile” of each of the study participants to assess the number of schizophrenia-related genes each participant had.

They found that those with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia were also more likely to be cannabis users.

Those with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia also smoked more than those without a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia.

Previous studies have found that using cannabis causes changes in the brain, which could lead to users developing mental health conditions, including schizophrenia.

Mr Power said:

“We know that cannabis increases the risk of schizophrenia.

“Our study certainly does not rule this out, but it suggests that there is likely to be an association in the other direction as well – that a predisposition to schizophrenia also increases your likelihood of cannabis use.

Mr Power added that the study also highlighted the complex interactions between genes and environments.

“Certain environmental risks – such as cannabis use – may be more likely, given an individual’s innate behaviour and personality; itself influenced by their genetic make-up,” he said.

“This is an important finding to consider when calculating the economic and health impact of cannabis.”

Previous research has shown that teenagers who use cannabis may damage their brains permanently.

In a mouse study, US researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that young mice exposed to small quantities of cannabis for just 20 days experienced permanent brain damage that lasted for the rest of their lives.

Children who smoke cannabis before the age of 16 have also been found to have a higher incidence of mental health disorders when older.

The findings of the latest research by the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, are published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

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