“The interesting question is, how much of psychosis is caused by a modifiable substance use? Are these edge scenarios, where it’s pretty rare? Or is it actually quite frequent?”
Only 0.9 percent of people were diagnosed with a psychotic disorder over the 31 years of the study.
In 2024, 41 percent of Canadians aged between 16 and 19 reported using cannabis at least once a year, which is up five percent since it was legalized in 2018, per the Canadian Cannabis Survey.
The study looked at schizophrenia, a disorder characterized by delusions, and other diagnoses.
The largest increase was driven by ‘psychosis not otherwise specified,’ which happens when psychosis is present but there isn’t a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
While Dr Myran said there isn’t a ‘smoking gun’ which proves this increase is due to weed, he theorises substance use in teen years could lead to ‘structural changes’ in the brain.
He said: “You go to the idea that neurons that fire together wire together. Your brain is quite plastic, and if we have substance use that’s causing hallucinations, if you have ongoing activation and firing and that kind of stuff, it can change your brain.”
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can call American Addiction Centers on (313) 209-9137 24/7, or contact them through their website.
Some people like to smoke and consume cannabis for its ‘calming’ effects, but it could be putting them at risk for more serious health conditions in the future.
Whether it’s a joint, bong, dab, edible or oil you use, cannabis could be something that harms you down the line.
