Cannabinoids And Psychosis Essay

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Peer Reviewed Journal Article: Cannabinoids and Psychosis
Sewell, Ranganathan, & D’Souza’s (2009) peer reviewed journal article discusses the possible link, if any, between using cannabis and experiencing psychosis. This article discussed how cannabis was likely to temporarily cause symptoms similar to those of schizophrenia in “healthy individuals” and increase the symptoms in patients already diagnosed with schizophrenia although they were stable on medications (p.153). However, the authors put emphasis on the variations from individual to individual and variations depending on the dosage of cannabis smoked. Sewell, Ranganathan & D’Souza (2009) also noted that cannabinoids have the ability to modify neurotransmitter release through activating presynaptic cannabinoid receptors (p.155). Furthermore, they declared the ability of cannabinoids to alter the functioning of dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate in the brain. (p. 155-156). Going deeper, this article proposes that individuals with a family history of schizophrenia may be more prone to the psychosis that may appear ...

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