WHY IT MATTERS: Pregnant patients who have used cannabis, even early in pregnancy, may want to discuss this emerging research with their obstetric and psychiatric care teams when considering their child’s long-term neurodevelopmental monitoring. CLINICAL OVERVIEW: Emerging research suggests that prenatal cannabis exposure may produce measurable epigenetic and gene expression changes in placental tissue, particularly in pathways associated with neurodevelopmental risk including schizophrenia. The placenta, long underappreciated as a window into fetal programming, appears to reflect cannabis-related disruptions that could correlate with altered brain development trajectories in offspring.
Scientists are raising new concerns about marijuana use in teens – KPBS
WHY IT MATTERS: For parents and adolescents, this research reinforces that cannabis is not a low-risk substance during the teenage years, and decisions about use should be made with full awareness of the potential for lasting mental health consequences. CLINICAL OVERVIEW: Research continues to build a concerning picture around adolescent cannabis use and its association with elevated risk for psychiatric conditions, including psychosis, depression, and anxiety disorders. The developing brain, particularly during the teenage years, appears to be especially vulnerable to the neurochemical disruptions that cannabinoids can produce, with THC’s interaction with the endocannabinoid system potentially altering normal neurodevelopmental trajectories.
Teenage Cannabis Users Twice as Likely as Non-Users to Develop Psychosis
A large study found that moderate cannabis use in adults over 40 was linked to larger brain volumes and better cognitive function, though experts caution more research is needed before drawing conclusions. A landmark longitudinal study published in JAMA Health Forum followed 463,396 adolescents ages 13-17 through age 26. Past-year cannabis use during adolescence was associated with a doubled risk of developing psychotic and bipolar disorders, plus elevated risks for depression and anxiety.
Adolescent Cannabis Use and Psychosis Risk: What This Cohort Study Shows and What It Does Not
A clinician-guided review of a large cohort study examining adolescent past-year cannabis use and subsequent psychiatric diagnoses, including psychosis and bipolar disorder. This article explains what the study measures, what it does not measure, and why causality cannot be assumed despite meaningful association signals.
Cannabis and Psychiatric Disorders: 7 Truths They’re Not Telling You
What happens when science gets simplified into fear? A new genetic study of cannabis and psychiatric disorders went viral—but left the truth behind. This post separates data from dogma, debunking the fairy tale that cannabis causes madness with a scalpel of context, compassion, and clinical wisdom.
Cannabis and Psychosis: 5 Reasons This Study Doesn’t Say What You Think
A new study shows a 5x rise in cannabis-linked psychosis hospitalizations—but is it the plant, or the policy? This blog pulls back the curtain on what’s really behind the numbers: vague diagnoses, missing context, and a health system still catching up. Because when cannabis becomes the scapegoat, we miss the chance to protect the people actually at risk.
Ask CAI: Cannabis Answers Simplified
CAI tackles the public's cannabis mysteries with clear, reliable data. 🤖 Try CAI for free:Ask CAI Also available at the bottom: CaplanCannabis.com Finding trustworthy answers about cannabis...
Biphasic Effect of Cannabis: 5 Ways Cannabis Affects Your Brain Differently
Cannabis exerts fascinating biphasic effects on the brain, stimulating neural activity in the short term while triggering compensatory adaptations during chronic use. Recent findings from JAMA Psychiatry reveal reduced synaptic density in chronic users, challenging the idea that cannabis is solely neuroplastic. Understanding this dual nature offers critical insights into balancing therapeutic benefits with long-term risks.
Strong correlation between grey matter volume and striatal glutamate level in the brains of early psychosis patients who used cannabis
Association of cannabis with glutamatergic levels in patients with early psychosis: Evidence for altered volume striatal glutamate relationships in patients with a history of cannabis use in early psychosis In Summary: Psychosis...