Shared Genetic Underpinnings for Cannabis Use and Psychiatric Disorders Identified, Study Shows

A recent study conducted by the University of Oslo published in the Lancet Psychiatry has identified shared genetic factors that play a critical role in both cannabis use and psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The study identified genetic variants that are capable of having opposing effects. While some increase the susceptibility to cannabis use, others can decrease the risks of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The research indicates that some sections of the population are at a higher biological risk of developing both disorders. The study employed advanced statistical modelling to identify shared genetic factors showing that the majority of the shared variants were linked to an increased risk of both cannabis use and developing either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. However, some genetic variants had opposing effects, increasing the risk of cannabis usage but decreasing the risk of the two psychiatric disorders. Therefore, the researchers suggest that there may be biological mechanisms that could support the beneficial effects of cannabis. Cannabis is currently used medicinally for the treatment of pain in some parts of the world and as an antidepressant, while some components of cannabis are being considered as potential treatments for psychosis. The implications of these findings are that preventive and interventional care may be necessary for high-risk individuals. This may include reducing cannabis use among individuals at high genetic risk of developing schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Further studies investigating the biological effects of the shared genetic variants may lead to the development of more specialized treatment efforts.