Cannabis Addiction Genetics

doi:10.1017/9781108943246.031

Chapter 30 - Cannabis Addiction Genetics

from Part VIII - Special Topics

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 May 2023

Suhas Ganesh and

Arpana Agrawal

Edited by

Deepak Cyril D'Souza ,

David Castle and

Sir Robin Murray

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Deepak Cyril D'Souza: Affiliation:
Staff Psychiatrist, VA Connecticut Healthcare System; Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine
David Castle: Affiliation:
University of Tasmania, Australia
Sir Robin Murray: Affiliation:
Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychosis Service at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust; Professor of Psychiatric Research at the Institute of Psychiatry

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Summary

Cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) are heritable (~50%) complex traits closely linked to multiple neuropsychiatric syndromes. The largest genome-wide association studies have begun to identify variants that contribute to this heritability. These discoveries have started yielding answers to longstanding questions in the fields of mental health and substance use related to comorbidity and causal influence of cannabis use and CUD on other neuropsychiatric syndromes. The genetics of cannabis use appears to relate positively to psychosocial outcomes while CUD genetics map more closely to lower educational and socio-economic characteristics. The genetics of cannabis use and CUD considerably overlap with that of other substance use disorders and are being elucidated through very large genome-wide association studies. Similarly, the relationships between cannabis use, psychosis, depression, anxiety, externalizing syndromes and neurodevelopment are also being uncovered using novel genetic methods. In this chapter, we review these exciting advances in the light of pre-existing evidence from twin and family studies.

Keywords

cannabis use cannabis use disorder heritability genetics GWAS comorbidity

Type: Chapter
Information: Marijuana and Madness , pp. 321 - 332

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108943246.031 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2023

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Chapter 30 - Cannabis Addiction Genetics

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