Cannabinoids and Schizophrenia: Risks and Therapeutic Potential.

ABSTRACT: A convergence of evidence shows that use of Cannabis sativa is associated with increased risk of developing psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia, and earlier age at which psychotic symptoms first manifest. Cannabis exposure during adolescence is most strongly associated with the onset of psychosis amongst those who are particularly vulnerable, such as those who have been exposed to child abuse and those with family histories of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia that develops after cannabis use may have a unique clinical phenotype, and several genetic polymorphisms may modulate the relationship between cannabis use and psychosis. The endocannabinoid system has been implicated in psychosis both related and unrelated to cannabis exposure, and studying this system holds potential to increas

SUBMITTER: Manseau MW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4604190 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature