ADAI in the News: People with Psychotic Disorders Link Cannabis Use to Physical Ills (UW Medicine News & KUOW)

People who have psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, and who also use cannabis report experiencing a wider range of health problems than previously documented.

In a study recently described in a paper in Community Mental Health Journal, ADAI Research Associate Professor Beatriz Carlini, PhD, MPH, and colleagues analyzed survey responses from 4,144 Washington State cannabis users and found that people with psychotic disorders who also use cannabis “face disproportionate harms of deteriorating psychiatric and physical health.”

“We want mental health providers to better understand that addressing cannabis use among their patients who suffer from schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders is really important. Paying attention to cannabis is in the best interest of this population.” 

Providers looking for education on how to talk to their patients about their cannabis use should check out the ADAI Cannabis Education & Research Program’s CannTalk guide.

For more information about Dr. Carlini’s paper, published January 16 in Community Mental Health Journal, check out the rest of this story from UW Medicine News or KUOW.