What people who smoke a lot of weed have in common with psychosis patients: study

What a buzzkill.Smoking weed can certainly have an impact on your brain — and not just the potential for some serious paranoia.Research published last week found that ER visits for cannabis use over age 65 has skyrocketed, and those seniors who need acute care for partaking up to 72% more likely to develop dementia.Now a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry has pinpointed another startling change to stoners’ brains.The study revealed that people with cannabis use disorder (CUD) — that is, using weed enough that it causes problems and impairs your life — have altered dopamine activity in the brain that closely resembls patterns observed in psychosis.Using MRIs, researchers found increased dopamine-related signals in the midbrain regions among heavy cannabis users.This area is crucial for motivation and reward processing and has been previously linked to psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions.The study focused on people aged 18 to 35.The heavy cannabis users had significantly higher neuromelanin-MRI signals — which measures function of dopamine, the happy hormone — in specific brain regions associated with psychosis severity.This increase was most pronounced among people with more severe cannabis use disorder, indicating a dose-related pattern.It’s not the first time smoking weed has been linked to a higher risk of psychosis.For instance, a 2024 study found that frequent use of high-potency pot increased the likelihood of psychosis, independent of genetic predisposition.“We hope this research helps inform young people about the potential risks associated with harmful cannabis use — especially those with a family history of psychosis or other factors that may increase their vulnerability,” lead author Jessica Ahrens, a PhD student in the Integrated Program in Neuroscience at McGill University, told PsyPost.

An unexpected finding was that those who did have cannabis use disorder did not report more personal issues due to their wee...