The proportion of new cases of schizophrenia associated with a cannabis use disorder has risen from 4% pre-legalization to 10% after cannabis legalization in Ontario, according to new research.

The study, conducted in Ontario, Canada, found that people treated for CUD in hospitals or emergency rooms were 10 times more likely to die by suicide than those in the general population. They were also significantly more likely to die from trauma, drug poisoning and lung cancer, researchers found.

Two new Canadian studies are the largest to date looking at death rates and psychosis associated with cannabis use disorder.

Two new studies led by Ottawa researcher Dr. Daniel Myran link higher rates of death as well as “concerning increases” in new schizophrenia diagnoses to cannabis use disorder. One study found that cases of schizophrenia associated with cannabis use disorder almost tripled in Ontario between 2006 and 2022,

New research adds to mounting evidence of a link between heavy cannabis use and psychosis, experts say.View on euronews