King’s College London Begins 6,000-Person Study on Cannabis, Mental Health

Recently ranked as one of the top 10 universities in the UK, King’s College London announced We plan to launch a study to examine the effects of cannabis on mental health.

This research Dr. Marta Di Forti, a Senior Clinical Fellow at the Medical Research Council (MRC) who has conducted cannabis-based research in the past. “We want to reach out to those who use cannabis, especially those who benefit from it. Without their help, cannabis is all bad and should be banned.” We will continue to have a polarizing debate about cannabis between those of us who believe it is and those who believe that cannabis is a plant and cannot do any harm.” deforty he said.

“a study called”Cannabis & Me (CAMe)is fully funded by King’s College London. Di Forti he first submitted to his MRC in 2019 and in 2020 he was approved for a $2.5 million grant. “The pandemic delayed the start until this date. This study includes several collaborations and labs affected by COVID-19. Description of Di FortiThe study is expected to run for five years, with early results likely to be published in 2023 or early 2024.

In explaining the purpose of the study, the authors explained that more research is needed given the rapidly growing number of consumers worldwide. “Therefore, at a time when cannabis use is on the rise around the world, this study is focused on understanding the wider effects of cannabis use on the physical and mental health of cannabis users. It can also identify environmental and biological factors that can explain the different effects people experience when using cannabis, particularly those users who are more likely to experience mental health and social problems. purpose.”

The survey should include 6,000 participants between the ages of 18 and 45 and reside in the London area. Not only do they participate in online studies, they also have to consent to face-to-face assessments, blood sample donations, and VR experiences (used to measure an individual’s physiological response to certain situations). Important caveats to participation include individuals with no prior or current diagnosis of psychotic disorder and should not receive treatment for the condition.

Participants will be selected for face-to-face interviews based on current cannabis consumption or whether they have “never/twice” tried cannabis.

“The primary goal of this study is to understand why a minority of cannabis users experience adverse psychological and cognitive effects, a clinical population that interests me as a clinician.” deforty he said“If we can identify the environmental and biological factors that predispose minorities to adverse effects when using cannabis on a daily basis, either for medical or recreational reasons, we can inform safe prescribing and monitoring of side effects.” (We use virtual reality to test whether or not we use cannabis, or how it affects our perception of reality).

Di Forti said that in addition to the positive benefits, more information is also needed on potential negative impacts. “We can also provide the general public with more information on how to avoid and recognize the adverse effects of using cannabis,” she said. “Everyone in our society can recognize the negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption, but no one knows how to identify the changes in thinking, processing, and perceptions experienced by minorities when using cannabis. I am not familiar with this.

In the past, Di Forti has conducted research analyzing the association between cannabis use and psychotic disorders. In a 2015 study, she said, “the risk for individuals with psychotic disorders was approximately three times higher for skunk-like cannabis users compared to those who never used cannabis.” The results of this study have been used to support anti-cannabis efforts not endorsed by Deforti. It tends to confuse me,” Di Forti said in an interview. cannabis health“People now associate me with the idea that no one should use cannabis and that cannabis is a toxic substance, but that’s not what I think.”

Another recent study, linked to King’s College London, found evidence that teenage and adult smokers were less likely to be motivated by cannabis use. Cannabis use has also been found to reduce symptoms in COVID-19 patients.