Loading...
Once thought to be a relatively benign substance, marijuana is now known to cause dependence and abstinence syndromes and to aggravate psychosis in some patients. Researchers in the Netherlands recently compared responses to marijuana use in 1092 patients with nonaffective psychotic disorders, 1057 of their siblings, and 590 controls with no personal or family psychiatric history.
Researchers used interviews to assess current schizotypal signs and symptoms (e.g., magical thinking, illusions, and suspiciousness) and lifetime use of cannabis and other substances. Participants reported positive and negative symptoms during their lifetime. Current marijuana use was assessed with urine toxicology.
Both lifetime and current cannabis use were associ…