Cannabis and acute psychosis.
The Present State Examination was used to assess the psychopathology of 23 psychotic patients who were cannabis positive on urinary screening, and 46 matched drug-free controls. Cases and controls were indistinguishable in terms of psychopathology, DSMIII diagnoses, onset of recent illness, the proportion of first admissions, ethnicity, and socio-economic class, differing only in their histories of substance use. These data suggest that psychosis which develops or recurs in the context of cannabis use does not have a characteristic psychopathology or mode of onset, and is not restricted to a particular ethnic or socio-demographic group. There is thus little evidence to support the validity of 'cannabis psychosis' as a diagnostic entity.
McGuire
P K
PK
Department of Psychological Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Psychiatry and King's College Hospital, London, UK.
Jones
P
P
Harvey
I
I
Bebbington
P
P
Toone
B
B
Lewis
S
S
Murray
R M
RM
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D010343:Patient Admission; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011605:Psychoses, Substance-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection
D002186:Cannabinoids