A new study published in Molecular Psychiatry has revealed that frequent use of high-potency cannabis, which contains 10% or more THC (the psychoactive substance in cannabis), may leave a distinct imprint on human DNA.
This research provides important insights into how cannabis use affects the body on a molecular level, particularly in relation to mental health.
The study also showed that the effects on DNA differ between people who have experienced their first episode of psychosis and those who have never had such experiences.
This finding suggests that a DNA test could potentially help identify cannabis users who are at greater risk of developing psychosis, offering a way to prevent or mitigate these mental health issues in the future.
As cannabis use becomes more widespread and higher-potency products become more available, understanding its biological impact is becoming more urgent, particularly when it comes to mental health, said Professor Marta Di Forti, a researcher at King’s College London and the study’s senior author.
The research focused on a process called DNA methylation, a chemical change that can affect how genes work, turning them on or off without altering the actual DNA sequence.
DNA methylation is an “epigenetic” mechanism, meaning it changes how genes behave due to environmental factors like substance use, rather than changing the genetic code itself.
The study looked at how frequent use of high-potency cannabis impacts DNA methylation and how these changes may relate to mental health, especially psychosis.
To carry out the research, scientists from the University of Exeter analyzed blood samples from two groups of people: those who had experienced psychosis for the first time and those who had never had any psychotic episodes.
The study included 682 participants, and the researchers examined how often the participants used cannabis, as well as the potency of the cannabis they used.
The findings revealed that frequent users of high-potency cannabis showed changes in certain genes, particularly those related to mitochondrial (energy production) and immune system function.
One of the genes most affected was the CAVIN1 gene, which plays a role in how cells produce energy and manage immune responses. These changes in DNA methylation were not due to tobacco, which is often mixed with cannabis, but appeared to be directly linked to cannabis use.
Dr. Emma Dempster, the lead author of the study from the University of Exeter, emphasized that this is the first study to show that regular use of high-potency cannabis leaves a specific mark on DNA.
According to her, the changes observed in genes related to energy and immune function offer a new perspective on how cannabis use might impact mental health through biological pathways.
DNA methylation acts as a bridge between genetics and environmental factors, like cannabis use, meaning it can provide a clearer picture of how external influences affect the body on a genetic level.
These epigenetic changes could help researchers better understand the link between cannabis use and mental health issues like psychosis.
The study gathered data from two large research projects: the GAP study, which looked at patients with first-episode psychosis in South London, and the EU-GEI study, which examined patients and healthy participants across several countries, including England, France, Italy, Spain, and Brazil.
In total, the research involved 239 people with psychosis and 443 healthy individuals.
The majority of cannabis users in the study had started using cannabis around the age of 16 and were frequent users, defined as using high-potency cannabis more than once a week.
With these findings, researchers hope to shed light on how frequent and high-potency cannabis use might lead to changes in the body that contribute to mental health conditions.
This research is crucial as the use of high-potency cannabis continues to rise, and it points to the need for more studies to understand the long-term biological impacts of cannabis on mental health, particularly in high-risk populations.
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The research findings can be found in Molecular Psychiatry.
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