Teens Using Weed Have Doubled Risk For Psychosis, Bipolar Disorder

(HealthDay News) — Teens who use weed are twice as likely to develop psychotic or bipolar disorders, a new study says.

They also are more likely to have depression and anxiety, researchers reported Feb. 20 in JAMA Health Forum.

“As cannabis becomes more potent and aggressively marketed, this study indicates that adolescent cannabis use is associated with double the risk of incident psychotic and bipolar disorders, two of the most serious mental health conditions,” researcher Dr. Lynn Silver said in a news release. She’s a program director at the Public Health Institute in Oakland, California.

More than 10% of 12- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. have used weed within the past year, researchers said in background notes. By their senior year in high school, about 26% of U.S. teenagers have tried it.

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