Higher potency of cannabis increases risk of addiction and psychosis, study finds

Through Nina Zdinjak

Cannabis users who tend to choose high-potency weed for their pleasure are at higher risk of becoming addicted or developing marijuana-induced psychosis, a new study shows.

“Overall, the use of higher-potency cannabis was associated with an increased risk of psychosis and CUD compared to lower-potency cannabis [cannabis use disorder]’ the authors write in the journal Lancet Psychiatry. “There was mixed evidence for depression and anxiety.”

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Compared to users who primarily consume low-potency weed (around 5 to 10 milligrams per gram of THC), those who use higher-THC cannabis are at greater risk of some mental health outcomes. Earlier, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Dr. Nora Volkow on how scientists have established a “standard THC unit” of 5 milligrams of THC for research. This amount is considered to induce a mild high for non-regular users.

“One of the highest-quality studies included in our publication found that use of high-potency cannabis was associated with a four-fold increased risk of addiction compared to low-potency cannabis,” said study co-author Tom Freeman, a senior professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath in the UK, told CNN.

According to data from the US Centers for Disease and Prevention, about three in 10 people in the US who use marijuana have a cannabis use disorder, while the risk of developing CUD is higher for those under the age of 18 who use marijuana.

Consequences of THC high cannabis

Freeman noted that the data show a 76 percent increase in people seeking treatment for cannabis addiction over the past 10 years, while marijuana potency has also increased significantly. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Drug Report 2022, THC in herbal cannabis has increased by 50% and almost tripled in cannabis resin in western and central Europe over the past decade, leading to increasingly evident health damage.

Freeman said it’s important to note that legal and labeled cannabis products can tell consumers the “exact potency” of THC, but those who buy cannabis illegally can’t usually get that information.

“However, certain types of cannabis are typically more potent than others,” he added. “Cannabis extracts are typically stronger than cannabis flowers.”

According to Freeman, trying to adjust your consumption of high-potency cannabis by adding less marijuana to the joint or inhaling less deeply doesn’t really work. “Higher potency products still provide consumers with a larger dose of THC than lower potency products,” he said.

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Freeman explained that psychosis is a “loss of reality” that can be described through hearing voices or delusions, and concluded that “the evidence linking the potency of cannabis to addiction and psychosis was very clear “.

To the study authors’ knowledge, this is the first systematic review of the association between cannabis potency and mental health and addiction. The researchers screened more than 4,150 articles to find 20 that met the requirements.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.