Should You Really Be Worried About Schizophrenia And Psychosis If You Smoke Pot?
Most Cannabis Users Never Experience Psychosis, But Why Is That Fact Never Mentioned?
In 2025, more places than ever in the world - not just the United States, have legalized cannabis. In addition, more people than ever have accepted cannabis as a safe and effective medication for many different types of conditions, including those that pharmaceuticals can’t treat.
So why are people still pushing content about cannabis supposedly causing psychosis and schizophrenia, which does nothing but fear-monger?
No Logic In Cherry-Picking
Sure, there are cases linking cannabis use to cases of psychosis and schizophrenia. But that’s because individuals who are already prone to these conditions take pot, which brings out the worst of their symptoms.
However, do not confuse causation with correlation. When a person is predisposed to these mental illnesses, using cannabis before the start of symptoms doesn’t mean that the drug caused it. There is so much nuance to these situations, which is why they must be approached with caution and critical thinking.
Cannabis use does not cause psychosis and schizophrenia, but it can reveal and enhance the condition, or make its symptoms worse.
It also doesn’t help that prohibitionists have been cherry-picking extreme cases, given the fact that the sheer majority of marijuana users never experience even a single episode of schizophrenia or psychosis.
There are also other considerations to think about:
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There have been other factors that are linked to schizophrenia and psychosis: Cannabis gets so much more panic coverage compared to the other factors that have been associated with it, such as stimulant drugs, alcohol consumption, poverty, and trauma. Reporters should acknowledge that the risk of developing these mental health disorders is much higher in a specific subset of people, instead of falsely claiming that “Weed use causes psychosis”. Again, it’s so much more nuanced than that.
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Genetic vulnerability is a real thing. Remember that people react to cannabis differently. According to research, a small subset of the population has a genetic variant that makes them more vulnerable to the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol on perception and mood. Some examples of this include the COMT gene, so individuals with this gene are highly sensitive to THC’s effects and may experience temporary psychiatric symptoms.
That’s just one example of genetic vulnerability; there are others at play. However, this represents the complex genetic variabilities that play an important role when it comes to genes. At the end of the day, these genetic issues occur in a minority of people yet they provide valuable explanations as to why they are predisposed to psychiatric symptoms compared to the rest of the population who do not.
Additionally, we can’t stress enough how the vast majority of cannabis consumers do not experience symptoms of schizophrenia or psychosis, since their physiology doesn’t react to THC in the same way. This nuance is always lost when prohibitionists like to generalize the information and cherry-pick facts.
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Context matters. The “research” out there doesn’t go deep into the context of when and how psychiatric illnesses occur when they do happen to cannabis users, conveniently forgetting the importance of context.
Things like the dose, age of first use, and frequency of consumption all play an important role here. While cannabis is a valuable, life-saving medicine, it’s by no means a cure-all and was never advertised as such. It’s medicine for many, and must be treated accordingly: the right dosage must be identified, and taking too much THC may not be the best route for many people.
Also, studies have shown that starting cannabis use at a young age, when the brain is still maturing, increases one’s vulnerability to poor mental health outcomes. This is why it’s critical to educate young kids about respecting the minimum age requirement when it comes to cannabis use: 21 and up.
Likewise, it’s why adults who responsibly or moderately use cannabis see a significantly lower incidence of psychosis or schizophrenia. The same patterns and context are observed when it comes to caffeine and alcohol consumption.
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Cannabis contains neuroprotective properties. There are hundreds of compounds in marijuana, and many of them contain therapeutic properties, especially for the brain. Individuals that are predisposed to psychosis or schizophrenia may benefit from strains that contain little to no THC, and instead focus on the calming, therapeutic benefits of cannabidiol (CBD), which doesn’t get you high.
After all, prohibitionist campaigns love to focus on THC’s supposed harmful effects without highlighting the importance of CBD.
Conclusion
Fear-mongering articles and campaigns are often designed to conveniently hide the important nuances that we should be discussing. There are many other factors at play, which we should not be discounting, when it comes to the association between cannabis and psychosis or schizophrenia.
All factors and variables must be considered in the context since the link has proven to be more complex than the headlines care to say. Of course, sensible and responsible use of cannabis always wins, most especially the importance of delaying first consumption until one reaches adulthood. And with the great variety of cannabis strains out there, choosing high-CBD or CBD-only strains can be beneficial among those with mental health disorders, if one decides to go this route for medication.
The conversation regarding psychosis and schizophrenia needs much more of a balance, and we really need to stop with the panic-inducing articles that cause people to think cannabis causes these conditions. Instead, let’s focus on informed and responsible consumption.
CANNABIS AND PSYCHOSIS, WHICH KIND, READ ON...
