Mental illness after exposure to medical cannabis

Although most cannabis use is recreational, cannabis is approved for various medical indications. One of most major safety concerns regarding the use of cannabis is its association with mental illness, in particular, induction or exacerbation of psychosis and schizophrenia, suicidal attempts and depression. That said, current available data in the field is based mostly upon studies of recreational users of cannabis and is therefore subject to inherent limitations and weaknesses. This study’s main objective is to study the association between exposure to medical cannabis and the risk for mental illness, including the risk for psychotic episodes, anxiety and suicidal behavior in meticulously designed studies. The data will be retrieved from three Israeli databases
Expected results: We expect this study will enable us to learn the association between medical cannabis and mental illness. This study will either confirm or refute the current concern about the mental effects of medical cannabis. The findings from the study will provide crucially needed data that could be immediately implemented in clinical practice, will contribute to the ongoing debate about legalization of recreational cannabis and may lay the groundwork for additional research.

Faculty Supervisor:

Laurent Azoulay

Student:

Partner:

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Pharmaceuticals; Biotechnology

University:

McGill University

Program: