According to a new study that was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, there is a “significant genetic correlation” that shows schizophrenics have a greater chance of using marijuana.
The study, which used genetic data from the DNA ancestry database 23andMe as well as previous studies, found that “individuals at risk for developing schizophrenia … [may] make them more likely to start using cannabis to cope or self-medicate.”
The Nature Neuroscience study is the largest of its kind where researchers analyzed anonymous genetic data from over 180,000 people.
The study also suggests that early symptoms of schizophrenia can lead a young person to start smoking marijuana.
“The study found a genetic overlap between cannabis use and the use of tobacco and alcohol,” the study’s authors wrote in a press release. “There was a similar overlap between cannabis use and personality types that were prone to more risky behavior or were more extroverted.
“This means that genetic variants impacting cannabis use partially impact other psychological or psychiatric features as well.”
