Marijuana 'accelerates onset of schizophrenia'
Tuesday 8th February 2011
Marijuana use accelerates the progression of mental illness, according to a new data analysis.
Psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia develop earlier in those who use the drug, results published in the Archives of General Psychiatry found.
Investigators who looked at 83 different studies involving psychotic illness and marijuana use found that those who took the drug developed the mental conditions almost three years before those who did not use it.
The authors concluded: "Reducing the use of cannabis could be one of the few ways of altering the outcome of the illness because earlier onset of schizophrenia is associated with a worse prognosis and because other factors associated with age at onset, such as family history and sex, cannot be changed."
This comes after the UK government announced they would inject £400 million cash into reforming the way the NHS treats mental health, with a target to "cure" up to one million sufferers by the next general election in 2015.
Written by Megan Smith
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