A study conducted in Canada has found that the legalization of cannabis did not lead to an increase in psychoses that could be linked to the plant. Researchers collected data 12 months before and after legalization to determine how often people had to go to the emergency room because of psychotic conditions triggered by cannabis, and compared these. The results are consistent with those of other studies.

No increase in mental health emergencies

The results show that there was no significant increase in emergencies due to psychotic illnesses in which the consumption of cannabis was proved, and correspond with previous studies, which also showed that the legalization of marijuana has no major influence on the number of hospital admissions due to mental health issues.

The first of the studies, published in 2022, found that the introduction of legalization brought no significant changes in psychotic episodes caused by cannabis. The second study, published in early 2024, also found no evidence that the use of health services or incidents of psychotic disorders had increased within 17 months after legalization.

The USA comes to the same conclusions

Even in the United States, no increase in psychosis-related problems was found after some states had legalized cannabis. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open in 2022 confirmed these results.

Although people with mental health issues are more likely to consume cannabis, psychotic illnesses triggered by cannabis are relatively rare in people without previous conditions. Only a small number of consumers suffered psychotic symptoms that required medical help, and this number is lower than that for alcohol consumers. The complete study, titled "Effects of Cannabis Legalization in Canada on the Frequency of Emergency Room Visits for Mental Health Issues in the Psychiatric Emergency Rooms of Quebec City," was published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.

Source: Norml.org