In a recent study posted to the medRxiv preprint server, researchers identified genetic loci associated with the lifetime and frequency of cannabis use and explored their heritability, genetic correlations, and clinical implications. Study: Genome-wide association studies of lifetime and frequency cannabis use in 131,895 individuals. Image Credit: Janon Stock / Shutterstock.
com *Important notice: medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. In 2020, approximately 209 million people globally reported using cannabis, a number that is expected to rise with increasing decriminalization. While cannabis is used for medicinal purposes, evidence indicates the use of this drug has adverse psychiatric, cognitive, and physical effects.
Up to 27% of users may develop cannabis use disorder (CUD). The factors that contribute to CUD remain unclear; however, between 51-78% of CUD cases may be heritable. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous loci associated with CUD; however, these studies focus on extreme addiction and overlook other stages of use.
Thus, further research is needed to understand better the genetic and environmental factors contributing to cannabis use and its progression to CUD. GWASs for lifetime and frequency of cannabis use involved male and female 23andMe research parti.
