WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A meta-analysis of 149 studies involving more than 71,000 people found that cannabis use is associated with an earlier onset of psychosis, according to research published in Biological Psychiatry. The analysis examined data from 18,272 cannabis users and 52,801 non-users.
Cannabis users developed psychosis an average of 2.50 years earlier than non-users overall. The timing gap widened among individuals whose symptoms emerged later in life.
In studies where psychosis onset occurred between ages 20 and 25, cannabis users developed symptoms approximately 1.60 years earlier than non-users. The difference increased to 4.43 years for onset between ages 25 and 30, and reached 6.30 years in studies where onset occurred at age 30 or older.
Researchers noted that longer cannabis exposure could partly explain the pattern, though the study cannot establish that cannabis directly causes earlier psychosis.
The analysis found no statistically significant difference between heavier and lighter cannabis users. The authors noted that differences in study methods, cannabis exposure measurements, and other factors limit conclusions about individual risk.
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