Ill from cannabis: 'We would have thousands more of these chronic diseases a year'

A new study has revealed a sharp rise in hospital admissions linked to cannabis-related complications following the implementation of Germany’s Cannabis Act in early April 2024. Researchers from Leipzig and Hamburg analyzed data from over 70,000 hospital stays and found that the number of adults requiring inpatient treatment due to cannabis-induced health issues increased by 5.6 percent within one year after the law was enacted. This corresponds to approximately 1,359 additional cases annually. Among adolescents, the initial spike was even more pronounced, rising by 14.9 percent, but this trend later reversed, resulting in just 91 extra cases overall. The research highlights that cannabis can trigger acute psychosis, with symptoms including altered perception, hallucinations, paranoia, and disorganized thinking. Some individuals experience auditory or visual hallucinations, while others feel overwhelmed or detached. These effects are often accompanied by physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, dizziness, nausea, and tremors. While these acute episodes typically resolve within hours and can be managed with medication, the long-term consequences are far more concerning. According to the study, there were a total of 5,000 acute intoxications and 21,000 instances of psychosis associated with cannabis consumption over nearly four years. Dr. Alkomiet Hasan, a professor of psychiatry and psychotherapy at the University of Augsburg, described the findings as “alarming.” He emphasized that even a moderate increase in cannabis use carries serious health implications. He noted that up to one in five cases of cannabis-induced psychosis could progress into schizophrenia, and roughly one in twenty might develop bipolar disorder. If these trends continue, the study suggests there could be thousands more cases of chronic mental illnesses each year, placing a heavy burden on both patients and the healthcare system through lost productivity, hospitalizations, and ongoing therapy. Hasan pointed out that the risk of developing psychiatric disorders increases significantly when cannabis contains more than 10–15 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound. Medical cannabis, which often contains around 24 percent THC, poses an even greater risk. He warned that individuals using cannabis as a recreational drug should be aware of this heightened danger, especially when consuming high-THC products. He also cautioned against using cannabis for minor ailments, stating that it should only be considered as a last resort for specific medical conditions, such as chemotherapy-induced nausea, weight loss in HIV/AIDS patients, or rare seizure disorders in children. The researchers proposed two possible explanations for the observed increase in hospital visits. First, they suggested that more people may have tried cannabis since its legalization, leading to a broader range of users experiencing adverse effects. Second, they speculated that some consumers might have switched to higher potency medical cannabis, which could exacerbate psychological side effects. The study also acknowledged that the relatively short timeframe of the analysis might mean that some cases of psychosis caused by prolonged cannabis use went unnoticed. In response to the findings, Hasan called for stricter regulations on medical cannabis, urging policymakers to revert to previous classifications that treated cannabis as a controlled substance rather than a common medication. He noted that the German government is currently reviewing the Medicinal Cannabis Act, with plans to restrict prescriptions to physicians who have personally examined patients. This change aims to reduce easy access to high-risk cannabis products.