Clinical Trials
Cannabis induced psychosis: Medical cannabis much safer
Cannabis-induced psychosis and increased risk of hospitalisation is not linked to medical cannabis use, according to new data.
New findings published in the journal of Substance Use & Misuse, have concluded that medical cannabis patients are a very low-risk for hospitalisation.
A sample size of over 23,000 medical cannabis patients from Canada was assessed, as Canada has legalised the use of cannabis products for medical and recreational purposes.
The data was focused on whether “cannabis poisoning” or “mental or behavioural disorders due to the use of cannabis” then led to hospitalisation.
The study lasted for an average of 240 days across the course of the trial of each patient.
During the investigation, researchers showed that only 14 patients were hospitalised for issues related to cannabis toxicity and 26 for cannabis induced psychosis or behavioural disorders.
These findings go against the claims from proponents of stricter legislation around cannabis that frequent exposure can cause psychosis or other disorders. The toxicity, especially, is much lower than you might find in a similar study on opiates or other painkillers currently on the market.
Cannabis-induced psychosis: Little data on the risk
Whilst studies on recreational cannabis use have linked schizophrenia or increased risk of cannabis-induced psychosis to adolescents, there has been little data before on the risk of medical cannabis itself.
Recreational cannabis that is self-administered generally contains far higher levels of THC than medical grade pharmaceuticals would ever contain and is also consumed differently. Doses are not predictable, measured, or regulated.
The journal says that they believe the use of medical cannabis is not a concern, especially in comparison to other medicines on the market.
They concluded: “The results suggest that the incidence of cannabis poisoning or cannabis-related mental or behavioural disorders was low among patients who were authorised to use cannabis for medical care”.
“Our observation of small rates of ED visits and hospitalisation for cannabis poisoning and CUDs [cannabis use disorders] among this large cohort of medical cannabis users helps address concerns regarding increasing use of medical cannabis.”
