Genetic switch could be key to psychosis in cannabis smokers – The Times

University of Aberdeen researchers hope their study will help help unlock the potential of medicinal cannabis by avoiding side-effectsMike Blake/Reuters

Scientists have identified genetic information that explains why some cannabis smokers suffer depression and psychosis while others experience no negative side-effects.

Researchers from the University of Aberdeen used revolutionary DNA sequencing to study the genes that make cannabis receptors in the brain. These receptors were said to hold the key to understanding why people respond differently to some drugs and could help tailor medical treatments to an individual.

Potential cannabinoid treatments to combat disease, addiction and obesity have been hindered due to the unpredictability of side-effects, which can include depression and psychosis.

Dr Alasdair MacKenzie and Dr Elizabeth Hay, from the school of medicine, medical sciences and nutrition at the university, who led the study, said they hope their discovery will help unlock the potential

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Genetic switch could be key to psychosis in cannabis smokers - The Times