UPMC Study Says Marijuana Use Worsens Schizophrenia

Using marijuana appears to contribute to schizophrenia symptoms, according to research reported today by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists.

A part of the brain that is key to cognitive processes, such as memory, is impaired by one of the main chemical ingredients of marijuana. Because people with schizophrenia have a deficit in this part of the brain, it is worsened when they smoke marijuana, according to the research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

“Heavy marijuana use, particularly in adolescence, appears to be associated with an increased risk for later development of schizophrenia, and the course of illness is worse for people with schizophrenia who use marijuana,” said Dr. David A. Lewis, a Pitt neuroscientist.

Originally published by The Tribune-Review.

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