Dr. Drew warns that marijuana studies reveal “deeply troubling” data.

One of TV’s favorite medical personalities is weighing in on the “deeply disturbing” findings of a recent study on marijuana use.

“When this idea first started coming around, I was actually a little skeptical. It seemed like a lot to me,” Dr. Drew Pinsky, an addiction medicine specialist, said on “The Bottom Line” on Friday. “We always knew that cannabis was linked to psychotic episodes, but the previous suspicion was primarily that people were already heading in that direction, and maybe that’s why they were taking drugs.”

But according to data from recent analyzes and studies, people who have experienced at least one psychotic episode after using cannabis are approximately 50% more likely to develop schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and the risk is higher for adolescents and young adults.

“Especially in states where recreational use is legal, the concentration of cannabis is quite staggering, close to 100%, and it’s a different drug, and it has a different effect on people,” Dr. Drew explained. “Now, it’s very common, we’re seeing hyperemesis, that is, people having uncontrollable bouts of vomiting.”

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“It’s a very common weed,” he continued. “Psychotic episodes have become increasingly common to the point that they’re actually kind of a hallmark of the psychosis that these kids get from cannabis.”

Dr. Drew Pinsky discusses “deeply troubling” data on marijuana use and mental disorders on “The Bottom Line.” (Getty Images)

A 2017 American Journal of Psychiatry study found that the risk of developing bipolar disorders or schizophrenia was higher for cannabis users ages 16 to 25, and had a greater effect than alcohol, opioids, amphetamines, and hallucinogens.

This week, an analysis from Truveta highlighted how cannabis use disorder diagnosis rates were 50% higher in November compared to the same period in 2019. There was also an almost 50% increase in the number of cannabis-related emergencies. Room visits.

Twenty-five US states have decriminalized marijuana and currently recognize it as a recreational drug, which Dr. Drew warned could open doors to easier access for young people.

“You’re fighting a deep cultural bias where they’ve literally been taught to believe that tobacco is much worse than cannabis, and they’re right in terms of alcohol, in terms of its impact on public health, in terms of it being carcinogenic,” he said. “In terms of lost work years, yes, the effects are The cumulative effect of alcohol is much worse than that of cannabis. But hemp is bad too.”

Dr Drew added: “Now that we have such incredibly high concentrations of cannabis, we are starting to see a real problem of unexpected psychotic episodes and more addiction. I have family members who are recovering from cannabis addiction.”

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The mental health and addiction expert added that he personally knows the “devastating consequences” of marijuana use, as he sees lifelong panic disorder firsthand.

“I don’t think there’s any such thing as a bad chemical. I think there are things that are risky with any chemical that humans come into contact with,” Dr. Drew said. “And you just have to understand those risks.”

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