Episode # 77 High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with Dr. Marta DiForte on Cannabis Induced PsychosisEpisode # 77 High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with Dr. Marta DiForte on Cannabis Induced Psychosis
High Truths on Drugs and Addiction
Dr. Di Forte is world renowned expert in cannabis induced psychosis research and risk factors for schizophrenia. Dr Marta Di Forti is a Clinical Reader in Psychosis Research at the Dept of Social, Developmental and Genetic Research, Institute of Psychiatry, and Honorary Consultant Adult Psychiatrist, Lambeth EI Community team, South London and Maudsley NHS foundation Trust. She leads the first Cannabis Clinic for patients with Psychotic disorders in UK. She was recently awarded the Royal College of Psychiatrist Researcher of the year prize. In 2020 she was granted a MRC Senior Research Fellowship to expand her research in the role of cannabis use in psychosis and its underlying biology. With her team she showed for the first time that use of high potency types of cannabis e.g. "skunk" carries a higher risk of psychosis than use of traditional types and that it affects rates of Psychotic disorders across Europe. Though it still remains unclear who are those cannabis use most at risk. Her future work aims to investigate the interaction between cannabis use and genes predisposing to schizophrenia, and how cannabis changes the epigenome. Lancet Article: Daily High Potency (10%) Cannabis Use is associated with nearly 5 fold increased odds of Psychotic Disorder
1:11:05•13 Jun 2022
Cannabis and Psychosis: Dr. Marta DiForte's Groundbreaking Research
“Certainly, we cannot change the DNA we have in our family history, but cannabis use is the only thing we can change, and we do know that for a significant proportion of people, if you remove from the equation cannabis use, you could have prevented the condition.”
Ever wondered how cannabis might affect mental health? In this episode of 'High Truths on Drugs and Addiction', Dr. Roneet Lev sits down with Dr. Marta DiForte, a leading expert in psychosis research, to uncover the intricate connections between cannabis use and mental disorders. Dr. DiForte, a Clinical Reader in Psychosis Research at the Institute of Psychiatry, and Honorary Consultant Adult Psychiatrist, has dedicated her career to understanding the risks associated with cannabis, particularly high-potency strains like 'skunk'.
Her work reveals that these potent forms of cannabis significantly raise the risk of developing psychosis compared to traditional varieties. But who is most at risk? That's what Dr. DiForte aims to find out through her ongoing research into the genetic factors that may predispose individuals to schizophrenia when combined with cannabis use. In this episode, she breaks down her findings and offers practical advice for parents worried about their children's cannabis consumption.
She stresses that while we can't change our genetic makeup, avoiding cannabis can significantly reduce the risk of psychosis. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of how cannabis interacts with our genes and what steps can be taken to mitigate these risks. This episode is a must-listen for anyone concerned about the mental health impacts of cannabis.
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