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Teenage Marijuana Use May Lead To Psychotic Symptoms In The Future

A new cannabis research study just confirmed what many scientists suspected. Teens who use marijuana are more likely than non users to develop psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions and feelings of persecution later in life.

Recent Studies

There have been several research studies recently. One found that teen cannabis use could increase the risk of psychotic illness by forty percent.

Another study linked cannabis use to earlier onset of psychotic illness. Teens who smoke marijuana for long periods have more hallucinations and delusions.

Inside The Experiment

Researchers kept track of almost 2,000 Germans for ten years, from age 14 to 24. This time they made sure that the teens didn't have any pre-existing psychotic symptoms and hadn't used marijuana before. They checked the teens three times during the study to interview them about smoking marijuana and psychotic symptoms.

And they also accounted for things such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, other drug use and other psychiatric illnesses. Short term cannabis use almost doubled the risk of temporary psychotic symptoms. And those who used cannabis over the entire study period increased their risk of developing a permanent psychotic disorder.

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