Just HALF a joint of cannabis 'causes psychosis-like effects in healthy people that's similar to schizophrenia', say experts

Lizzie Parry reports at Daily Mail,

Smoking cannabis can induce psychosis-like effects, similar to the symptoms people diagnosed with schizophrenia endure.



Yale scientists found at doses roughly equivalent to half or a single joint, the active ingredient in cannabis, delta-9-THC, produces psychosis-like effects and increased neural activity in the brains of healthy people

The psychosis-like effects of cannabis may be related to neural noise which disrupts the brain's normal information processing.'

During the experiments, they received two doses of intravenous delta-9-THC or a placebo in a double-blind, randomised, cross-over and counterbalanced design.

If confirmed, the link between neural noise and psychosis could shed light on the biology of some of the symptoms associated with schizophrenia.

Dr John Krystal, editor of Biological Psychiatry, the journal in which the study is published, said the research marks an important part of the debate over whether cannabis should be legalised.

He said: 'This interesting study suggests a commonality between the effects on the brain of the major active ingredient in marijuana and symptoms of schizophrenia.

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