Abstract
It has long been known that cannabis consumption may cause a number of psychopathological reactions. Mental effects of cannabis range from acute intoxication to long-standing psychiatric disorders. Research on the association between cannabis and psychiatric disorders is difficult, since there are a number of confounding factors and since many persons with psychiatric disorders use cannabis. Thus the causal pathways linking cannabis to psychiatric disorders are particularly difficult to elucidate. Although it is clear that cannabis may precipitate or aggravate psychotic reactions, it has been debated whether cannabis is an independent risk factor for schizophrenia. The paper summarizes the major psychiatric syndromes that may be associated with cannabis consumption and also Swedish studies that give support to the hypothesis that cannabis is a risk factor for schizophrenia.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Thomas, H. (1993) Psychiatric symptoms in cannabis users. Br. J. Psychiatr. 163, 141–149.
Keeler, M., Ewing, J., and Rouse, B. (1971) Hallucinogenic effects of marijuana as currently used. Am. J. Psychiatr. 128, 213–216.
Tart, C. (1970) Marijuana intoxication: common experiences. Nature 226, 701 - 704.
Thornicroft, G. (1990) Cannabis and psychosis. Is there epidemiological evidence for an association? Br. J. Psychiatr. 157, 25 - 33.
Chopra, G. and Smith, J. (1974) Psychotic reactions following cannabis use in East Indians. Arch. Gen. Psychiatr. 30, 24 - 27.
Thacore, V. R., and Shukla, S. (1976) Cannabis psychosis and paranoid schizophrenia. Arch. Gen. Psychiatr. 33, 383 - 386.
Pâlsson, A., Thulin, S., and Tunving, K. (1982) Cannabis psychosis in South Sweden. Acta Psychiatr. Scand. 66, 311 - 321.
Negrete, J., Knapp, W., Douglas, D., and Smith, W. (1986) Cannabis affects the severity of schizophrenic symptoms: results of a clinical survey. Psycholog. Med. 16, 515 - 520.
Treffert, D. A. (1978) Marijuana use in schizophrenia: a clear hazard. Am. J. Psychiatr. 135, 1213 - 1215.
Negrete, J. (1983) Psychiatric effects of cannabis use, in Cannabis and health hazards (Fehr, K. and Kalant. H.), Toronto: Addiction Research Foundation, pp. 577 - 616.
Andréasson, S., Allebeck, P., Engström, A., and Rydberg, U. (1987) Cannabis and schizophrenia: a longitudinal study of Swedish conscripts. Lancet ii, 1483-1485.
Andréasson, S., Allebeck, P., and Rydberg, U. (1989) Schizophrenia in users and non-users of cannabis: a longitudinal study of Swedish conscripts. Acta Psychiatr. Scand. 79, 505 - 590.
Comitas, L. (1976) Cannabis and work in Jamaica: a refutation of the amotivational syndrome. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 282, 24 - 32.
Solowij, M., Michie, P. T., Fox, M. (1995) A differential impairment of selective attention due to frequency and duration of cannabis use. Bio Psych. 37, 731 - 734.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Allebeck, P. (1999). Cannabis and Psychiatric Syndrome. In: Nahas, G.G., Sutin, K.M., Harvey, D., Agurell, S., Pace, N., Cancro, R. (eds) Marihuana and Medicine. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-710-9_65
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-710-9_65
Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-5717-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-710-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive