While recreational marijuana use is generally associated with a more peaceful mental state, scientists have just made a surprising discovery.
As detailed in a meta-analysis of cannabis-related studies published last month in the journal Psychological Medicinea team of British scientists has discovered a significant link between cannabis use and an “increased risk of violence”.
The main finding was that cannabis users were statistically more likely to be perpetrators of violence. They also found that use of the drug – particularly among women and mixed cohorts – was also “significantly associated with an increased risk of being a victim of violence”.
Although this is a classic case of correlation, not causation – researchers are far from suggesting that the drug directly motivates users to be more violent because we are far from reaching scientific consensus on the issue – the findings “underscore the importance of addressing this issue at a societal and clinical level,” according to the article.
In other words, it is a very nuanced and complex relationship with many other factors at play.
“As a clinician, I have seen how excessive cannabis use can be a factor in violence,” Marta Di Forti, co-author and professor at King’s College London, said in a statement. “We have long been cautious about how far we can go in describing this link, but a review of this magnitude allows us to speak with more confidence about the risks, while ensuring we do not stigmatize people who use cannabis more broadly.”
“As cannabis has become increasingly commercialized and legalized around the world, the conversation about its risks has focused primarily on the person using it,” added Sir Robin Murray, co-author and professor of psychiatric research at King’s College London. “This study shows that violence, whether committed or experienced, must also be part of this conversation. »
For their paper, the researchers looked at 63 cannabis-related studies, involving just over 265,000 subjects.
Researchers found that cannabis users “may place themselves in risky situations,” which could partly explain the “increased vulnerability” to violence. Users may also be exposed to “peers who engage in substance use or criminal activity.”
The risk of violence was also more pronounced among psychiatric patients. Previous research has shown that people who already have pre-existing mental health conditions such as psychosis may experience “worse clinical outcomes” due to continued cannabis use.
“Given the higher rate of cannabis use among people with serious mental illness than in the general population, this group represents a particularly at-risk population in terms of violent behavior,” the document reads.
The researchers offered some key takeaways from their findings. On a societal level, the researchers suggest that “violence should be considered alongside other established cannabis-related harms when developing prevention strategies, public education campaigns, and regulatory policies.”
At the clinical level, the research highlights the “need for mental health professionals to systematically assess cannabis use among people with violent tendencies, particularly those with serious mental illness.”
However, to get a better sense of the link between cannabis use and violence, future studies will need to “untangle causality” by looking in more detail at how, why, and when people use the drug. Further studies should also “examine whether reducing cannabis use through clinical or public health interventions leads to a reduction in violent behavior,” the researchers conclude.
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Gn Health
