Cannabis use causes a temporary cognitive breakdown in nonpsychotic individuals, leading to long-term psychosis, new research shows.
In an imaging study, investigators at the University of Bergin, in Norway, report that they found a different brain activity pattern in schizophrenia patients who had a history of cannabis use compared with schizophrenia patients who had never used cannabis.
“While brain activity for both groups was similar, there are subtle differences between schizophrenia sufferers with a history of cannabis use and those who have never used cannabis. These differences lead us to believe that the cognitive weakness leading to schizophrenia is imitated by the effects of cannabis in otherwise non psychotic people,” lead author Else-Marie Loberg, PhD, University of Bergen, said in a statement.
by Pam Harrison