The causes of schizophrenia have not yet been clearly and completely defined. One of the prevailing views is that something biological leaves a person susceptible to the disorder. This vulnerability could be genetic (and we know that relatives of schizophrenic people have higher rates of the disorder that rise with increasing genetic relatedness), or there could be disruptions in normal development or neurological damage. It is believed that when this biological vulnerability comes face-to-face with stress, especially during adolescence, schizophrenia develops.
Recent research has examined the relationship between marijuana use and schizophrenia. Does marijuana act as a precipitating stress that could trigger a psychotic episode in someone vulnerable to the disorder? The CBC program The Nature of Things addressed this possibility in a recent episode called The Downside of High - watch it online here. As you will see in the program, the rate of schizophrenia is four times higher in adolescents who smoke pot before age 16 than in the general population. Schizophrenia in the general population occurs in about 1 in 100 people – the rate is twice as high in regular pot smokers. For references and more information regarding the program, see the episode’s website.
