This is the first systematic review of the association of cannabis potency and all of the data point to a very clear conclusion , which is the more potent the THC concentration , the higher probability of developing psychosis or a major depressive episode or a major anxiety disorder later in life . That should be of particular concern because we know we are absolutely clear about the fact that with the advent of all these new strains of cannabis and with the engineering and availability of cannabis at much higher potency , meaning THC potency , the risk of psychosis is going up and up and is likely to continue going up unless something is done to reduce the frequency of cannabis use to zero ideally or to very low frequency , very low potency in adolescents and teens and people age 25 or younger . I know a lot of people don't wanna hear this message because first of all , it's alarming .
Plus the general perception out there because of the way that cannabis is discussed in the media and by sports figures and by celebrities and by , by politicians et cetera that it's not as bad as alcohol and maybe not that bad and maybe even has health benefits . Then you're essentially setting up a system where young people are far more likely to adopt and continue cannabis use without realizing these serious health consequences that await them later .
And as they point out , and again , I'm paraphrasing here . This is the first systematic review of the association of cannabis potency and all of the data point to a very clear conclusion , which is the more potent the THC concentration , the higher probability of developing psychosis or a major depressive episode or a major anxiety disorder later in life . That should be of particular concern because we know we are absolutely clear about the fact that with the advent of all these new strains of cannabis and with the engineering and availability of cannabis at much higher potency , meaning THC potency , the risk of psychosis is going up and up and is likely to continue going up unless something is done to reduce the frequency of cannabis use to zero ideally or to very low frequency , very low potency in adolescents and teens and people age 25 or younger .
So if this isn't clear enough , just from my statements , I'd like to point to a particular paper . This is one of the more impactful papers in this area in recent years , this is a paper published in Lancet Psychiatry in 2022 title is Association of Cannabis Potency with Mental ill health and addiction . A systematic review , a number of very important points in this very fine paper .
And I realized that saying this is going to upset some people out there because I know that there are a number of people who fought very hard for the legalization process . And I want to acknowledge that I also want to acknowledge the many known positive effects of cannabis in adults with very occasional use provided it is delivered safely and in the safe context and setting and with legality , that is entirely distinct from the issue of whether or not cannabis is safe for the developing brain and body . Again , I'm not demonizing anybody for using cannabis , but I want to make the point very simply and very directly .
