Short communication: Genetic association between schizophrenia and cannabis use

anon79999497 · January 14, 2017, 1:44pm

CONCLUSIONS:

Common genetic variants underlying schizophrenia and lifetime cannabis use are partly overlapping. Individuals with a stronger genetic predisposition to schizophrenia are more likely to initiate cannabis use, use cannabis more regularly, and consume more cannabis over their lifetime

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Short communication: Genetic association between schizophrenia and cannabis use.

KJ Verweij, A Abdellaoui, MG Nivard, A Sainz Cort, L Ligthart, HH Draisma, CC Minică, G Gillespie, JJ Willemsen and JM Hottenga, Drug and alcohol dependence, 2017 02 01

Previous studies have shown a relationship between schizophrenia and cannabis use. As both traits are substantially heritable, a shared genetic liability could explain the association. We use two recently developed genomics methods to investigate the genetic overlap between schizophrenia and cannabis use.Firstly, polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia were created based on summary statistics from the largest schizophrenia genome-wide association (GWA) meta-analysis to date. We analysed the association between these schizophrenia polygenic scores and multiple cannabis use phenotypes (lifetime use, regular use, age at initiation, and quantity and frequency of use) in a sample of 6,931 individuals. Secondly, we applied LD-score regression to the GWA summary statistics of schizophrenia and lifetime cannabis use to calculate the genome-wide genetic correlation.Polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia were significantly (α<0.05) associated with five of the eight cannabis use phenotypes, including lifetime use, regular use, and quantity of use, with risk scores explaining up to 0.5% of the variance. Associations were not significant for age at initiation of use and two measures of frequency of use analyzed in lifetime users only, potentially because of reduced power due to a smaller sample size. The LD-score regression revealed a significant genetic correlation of rg=0.22 (SE=0.07, p=0.003) between schizophrenia and lifetime cannabis use.Common genetic variants underlying schizophrenia and lifetime cannabis use are partly overlapping. Individuals with a stronger genetic predisposition to schizophrenia are more likely to initiate cannabis use, use cannabis more regularly, and consume more cannabis over their lifetime.

Daze · January 14, 2017, 3:24pm

you would think having the disposition to even try pot because of the sz gene

would actually be like medicine or a deficiency of vitamins that make kids eat dirt and sand

but in fact it makes the schizophrenia full blown instead

anon11056724 · January 14, 2017, 4:29pm

The first time I smoked pot I knew that I wanted to do it for the rest of my life. The effects it had on me were so profound that I couldn’t imagine s day without it. I smoked from the age of 15 to 24 pretty much every day. I considered it medicine for my anxiety and depression.
I guess these studies are correct. Too little too late for me though. I’m the perfect example of what this literature is talking about. Now how do I reverse the god damned effects?