Early Pot Use Linked to Psychosis Risk
Young people who smoke pot are more likely than others to develop psychosis, a new study finds. And the earlier they begin, the greater the risk. The study focused on 3,800 people. Researchers assessed their health at ages 5, 14 and 21. During the study, 65 people were diagnosed with a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia. At their last checkup, people were asked about marijuana use. About half of them had used it. People who smoked pot for six years or more were twice as likely to be diagnosed with a psychotic illness as people who never used the drug. They were three times as likely to have hallucinations â seeing or hearing things that were not real. They were four times as likely to have delusions â false beliefs that persist despite the facts. Both of these are potential symptoms of psychosis. The study appeared in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.