The decriminalization and destigmatization of marijuana left one well-known doctor addressing growing concerns about “increasingly common,” lasting psychotic disorders.
(Video: Fox Business)
Television medical personality and addiction medicine specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky joined “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business Friday to discuss “extremely worrisome” data about marijuana’s connection to conditions like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
“When this first started coming up, I actually was somewhat doubtful. It seemed too much to me,” he told co-hosts Dagen McDowell and Sean Duffy. “We were always aware that cannabis was associated with psychotic episodes, but the previous suspicion was it was primarily people who were sort of heading that way already, perhaps that’s why they were using the drug.”
Citing a 2017 American Journal of Psychiatry study alongside recent analysis from Truveta, a health system collective, data showed an increasing trend of cannabis-induced disorder emergency visits.
“Between 2019 and 2020, we found a nearly 50% increase in the rate of both cannabis-induced-disorder emergency department visits and cannabis-involved emergency department visits. The rate of cannabis-induced disorder emergency visits continued to increase through 2023…” reaching a rate more than 50% higher in Nov. 2023 than Nov. 2019, the research from Truveta stated.
It was also suggested that those who had experienced at least one psychotic episode from using cannabis were nearly 50% more likely to develop bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
“…particularly in the states where it’s legal for recreational use, the concentration of the cannabis is so spectacular, it’s approaching 100% that, literally, it’s a different drug, it has a different effect on people,” warned Pinky before detailing some of the other effects documented from users.
“And now, very commonly, we’re seeing hyperemesis, people that develop vomiting episodes that are uncontrolled…It’s very common from weed,” he said. “And psychotic episodes have become increasingly common to the point that they’re actually kind of characteristic features to the psychosis these kids are getting from the weed.”
The 2017 study found the risk of developing some form of psychosis was highest among those aged 16 to 25, and Pinksy challenged the attitude of that demographic that has been ingrained in them by society.
“You’re fighting a profound cultural bias where they literally have been taught to believe that tobacco is significantly worse than cannabis,” he said before extolling, “and they’re right in terms of alcohol, in terms of impact on overall health, in terms of being carcinogenic, in terms of lost work years, yes, the cumulative effects of alcohol are measurably worse than cannabis.”
“But cannabis is also bad,” asserted Pinsky.
“Now that we have such incredibly high concentrations of cannabis we’re starting to see a real problem with really unanticipated psychotic episodes and more addiction,” he continued with a personal note. “I have family members that are in recovery from cannabis addiction.”
In parting words, the addiction medicine specialist added that he doesn’t “believe there’s any such thing as a bad chemical. I think there are things that are risks with any chemical that humans relate to. And you just have to understand those risks.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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