Youngsters at high psychosis risk from cannabis

UNIVERSITY academics on January 25 signalled their fears of an upsurge in cases of psychosis among young people in Trinidad and Tobago addicted to cannabis.

They were addressing a panel discussion at the Faculty of Social Sciences, UWI, St Augustine.

Professor of Pharmacology at UWI, St Augustine Prof Yuri Clement said medical marijuana may treat glaucoma and be used by cancer patients but then lamented the psychiatric disorders it may cause. He said cannabis has normally had a potency or THC content of 3-5 per cent but nowadays it can reach 25 per cent.

"Because it is now accessible to people, Prof Hutchison will tell you that you now have more people having psychotic disorders, psychiatric disorders."

He showed a chart of how world cannabis use is predicted to triple from 2020 to 2025, from about US$28 billion to US$96 billion, inclusive of an exponential rise in recreational use but with flat medical use. Clement said, "That is the problem."

He said Denmark had recorded 45,000 people suffering from schizophrenia from 1972-2012.

"They have found a high risk of schizophrenia, and it is linked to cannabis use disorder (that is, cannabis addiction)."

Clement said this disorder was characterised by people smoking cannabis daily and in high doses.

"Sometimes, when they try to get off it, they have difficulty getting off. They have withdrawal symptoms and it doesn't really matter what happens with their social life or family life or work life. They just have this disorder where they need to use cannabis.

"They have shown it is higher in males, especially younger males between 16 and 20.

"They have a 25 per cent risk of developing schizophrenia when they have this disorder (addiction)."

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness affecting how a person thinks, feels, and behaves, says the US-based National Institute of Mental Health, and may make individuals feel they have lost touch with reality.

Psychiatrist Prof Gerald Hutchinson said cannabis affects different people differently and said the human body produces certain cannabinoids.

However, he noted researchers who have linked cannabis use to panic disorder, anxiety, suicide and depression.

He said some people using excessive cannabis and cannabis with a high THC content were more likely to develop psychiatric conditions, as were youngsters.

"It is generally thought, based on the research the literature, that people who start using cannabis before age 14 or less are more likely to develop these conditions if they continue to use into their adult life. There is some evidence to suggest if you start to use early, you tend to use more as you grow older."

UWI research psychologist Dr Joni Lee Pow noted increased reports of children and adolescents in TT using cannabis and said this raised concerns about the fact that gummies and brownies are being used to appeal to youngsters to imbibe cannabis. As THC content rises, so does the risk of psychosis, she said.

She said a European study showed that low-potency cannabis (under ten per cent) produced a three-fold increase in the risk of developing psychosis while with high-potency cannabis (over ten per cent), this rose to a five-fold increase. Unofficial estimates were that potency in TT was 19-26 per cent, she said.

A 2018-2022 study by King's College, London, dubbed Intrepid, found that 20 per cent of people living in TT smoke cannabis, compared to 12-13 per cent in London and Amsterdam. She said this rate was "quite high." People using cannabis once per week were doubling their risk of developing a psychiatric disorder, she said. Those smoking more often had a five-fold increase in the risk.

"Cannabis is contributing to high psychosis in Trinidad and Tobago," Lee Pow declared.

Attorney Rajiv Persad warned university students of a $200,000 fine and a five-year jail term for cannabis possession near schools, including universities, as the law deems such possession to constitute drug trafficking.

In the question session, an audience member said he had recently met very many people in Trinidad and Tobago and the UK with psychosis and cannabis addiction.

"I am really concerned about it. I would like to see more preparation for the families of users."

Cannabis consultant Marcus Ramkissoon lamented the lack of public education over cannabis promised when Parliament passed new cannabis legislation in 2019.

While the panel addressed several questions posted by online viewers on YouTube, three viewers asked where to find help to get addicted youngsters off cannabis, but no panellist answered these queries.