Researchers in Ireland have found genetic mechanisms which mean teenage cannabis use can trigger the development of schizophrenia, it has been announced.
Researchers say that the drug seems to interact with a gene called COMT and cause physical changes in the brain.
The discovery was made at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
The Irish researchers worked with scientists at Columbia University, New York, USA, on the project.
They have shown how the gene sends out enzymes responsible for breaking down the brain chemical dopamine. Researchers found that teenage cannabis users had changes in cell size, density and in protein levels in specific parts of the brain.
Researcher Dr Áine Behan said: "Increased knowledge on the effects of cannabis on the brain is critical to understanding youth mental health both in terms of psychological and psychiatric well-being.
"This is the first study to show that the combined effects of the COMT gene with adolescent cannabis use cause physical changes in the brain regions associated with schizophrenia.
"It demonstrates how genetic, developmental and environmental factors interact to modulate brain function in schizophrenia and supports previous behavioural research which has shown the COMT gene to influence the effects of adolescent cannabis use on schizophrenia-related behaviours."
Neuropsychopharmacology March 21 2012; doi:10.1038/npp.2012.24
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