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Massive genetic study links cannabis use to psychiatric, cognitive decline
The News Tuesday 14 Oct 2025 The University of California San Diego Medicine researchers in collaboration with the genetic testing company 23andMe have identified the genetic associations between cannabis use and many different traits that could inform the prevention and treatment strategies for cannabis use disorders. The findings of the study were published on October 13 in Molecular Psychiatry and could inform the development of prevention and treatment strategies for cannabis use disorder. The researchers were intrigued by the relationship between genetics and attributes contributing to the development of cannabis use disorder, which can interfere with a person’s daily life. Sandra Sanchez-Roige, associate professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine and senior author of the study, said, "Cannabis is widely used but its long-term effects on health remain poorly characterized." How are the genomes of many people used to identify genetic variations? The research team conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) investigating interrelations between cannabis use and genetic data provided by 131,895 23andMe research participants. The participants were asked certain questions about whether or not they ever used cannabis, and those who answered yes were also asked how frequently they used the drug. The study found that lifetime cannabis use was linked with two genes. The first gene identified was Cell Adhesion Molecule 2 (CADM2), a gene that is involved in synaptic assembly and signaling between nerves specifically in the brain. Meanwhile previous studies have linked CADM2 to distinct traits and conditions including impulsive personality, obesity and cancer metastasis. The frequency of cannabis was found to be linked with the CADM2 gene. The second gene was Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 3 (GRM3), which is involved in communication between neurons and long-term brain plasticity. GRM3 has already been associated with psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and manic depression. Moreover, a secondary analysis has revealed an additional 40 genes associated with lifetime cannabis use and four genes associated with frequency of cannabis use. It has been observed that twenty-nine of these genes had not previously been associated with any sort of cannabis-related traits. The researchers further analyzed health conditions that were correlated with a genetic susceptibility for cannabis use. Cannabis use disorder and frequency of cannabis use were genetically linked with more than 100 distinct traits including cognitive traits, physical health and psychiatric conditions. Moreover, the results showed that they were also associated with an increased risk for tobacco use, infectious diseases (including viral hepatitis, HIV) and autoimmune diseases. This study marks the first genome-wide association study to examine behaviors that herald cannabis use disorder. According to a visiting scholar in Sanchez-Roige’s lab at Western University said, "By studying these intermediate traits we can begin to map how genetic risk unfolds before cannabis use disorder develops." The study revealed that there are no currently FDA approved drug therapies to treat cannabis use disorder. The research concluded that genetic factors associated with cannabis are intricately connected to the genetics of a wide range of cognitive, physical health traits. The authors hope that the biological discoveries generated by GWAS will support future efforts to provide preventive interventions against the disorder. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1350918-massive-genetic-study-links-cannabis-use-to-psychiatric-cognitive-decline
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