Cannabis may be behind a surge in schizophrenia cases, alarming research suggested today.
Advocates of the drug often purport that marijuana is safe because it is ‘natural’.
But Canadian researchers found new cases of schizophrenia triggered by cannabis have tripled since the country legalised the drug in 2015.
In just under two decades, the figure rose from 4 per cent to over 10 per cent, the scientists said.
Experts warned the findings show that using the drug also heavily worsens symptoms of the condition and that cannabis poses a ‘growing public health challenge’.
Dr Daniel Myran, an expert in public health and preventative medicine at the University of Ottawa and study co-author, said: ‘Regular cannabis use is strongly associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia.
‘The tripling of schizophrenia cases associated with a cannabis use disorder over the past 17 years and rising cases of psychosis underscores the urgent need for targeted prevention strategies, particularly for younger populations who appear to be at the greatest risk.
‘Our study highlights the growing public health challenge posed by the combination of increasingly high-potency cannabis and rising regular cannabis use.’