Teens Using Cannabis Are At Higher Risk Of Psychosis, Study Suggests

(Forbes) Teens who use cannabis have a significantly higher risk of developing a psychotic disorder compared to those who don’t, according to a study published in the journal Psychological Medicine Wednesday, the latest research linking the drug to mental health disorders among young adults.

Teens aged 12 to 19 who used cannabis had an 11 times higher risk of developing a psychotic disorder compared to teens not using cannabis, according to an analysis of health data for 11,000 teens and young adults aged 12 to 24.

The study did not find an association between cannabis use and psychotic disorders in people aged 20 to 33.

The data—pulled from the annual Canadian Community Health Survey from 2009 to 2012—looked into hospitalizations, emergency room visits and outpatient visits, and researchers followed up with the participants for additional visits to the doctor, the emergency room or other hospitalizations in the nine years after the survey.

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