Psychosis five times more likely for cannabis users: UK study

Sydney Morning Herald 17 February 2015
A British study released on Monday suggested that the risk of psychosis was five times higher for regular users of cannabis, adding to a growing body of evidence linking drug use and mental health disorders.

The six-year study published in the medical journal The Lancet reported on 780 people living in south London, 410 of whom were being treated for conditions including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

The report’s lead author was Marta Di Forti from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London, who warned about the growing use of “skunk” – a powerful type of cannabis.

“Compared with those who had never tried cannabis, users of high potency skunk-like cannabis had a threefold increase in risk of psychosis,” she said.

“The risk to those who use every day was even higher – a fivefold increase compared to people who never use,” she added in a statement.

Psychosis is a mental health problem and the symptoms include hallucinations and delusions.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/psychosis-five-times-more-likely-for-cannabis-users-uk-study-20150216-13gjlw.html