kingscollegelondon | The researchers found that people genetically pre-disposed to
schizophrenia were more likely to use cannabis, and use it in greater
quantities than those who did not possess schizophrenia risk genes.
Power says: “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 pre-disposition to schizophrenia also
increases your likelihood of cannabis use.”
“Our study highlights the complex interactions between genes and
environments when we talk about cannabis as a risk factor for
schizophrenia. 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. This is an important
finding to consider when calculating the economic and health impact of
cannabis.”
Additional funding was provided by the National Institutes of
Health, Australian National health and Medical Research Council,
Australian Research Council, GenomEUtwin Project, Centre for Research
Excellence on Suicide Prevention in Australia, the National Institute
for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre
(NIHR BRC) at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and
King’s College London and the Netherlands Organization for Health
Research and Development.
Paper reference: Power, R. et al. ‘Genetic predisposition to schizophrenia associated with increased use of cannabis’ published in Molecular Psychiatry.
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