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Studies have shown that people who use cannabis on a regular basis may be at a higher risk of developing psychosis, but little is known about how the drug affects the actual structure and function of the brain, particularly at a young age.

Researchers at Dalhousie University are trying to better understand that potential relationship with an innovative study that will use magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) techniques to examine the brains of different groups of 15- and 16-year-olds.

Dr. Phil Tibbo, a professor of psychiatry, is recruiting teens in Halifax who use cannabis and those who don't, and those who have psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and those who don't. PLEs are described as non-persistent changes in thoughts, perceptions and behaviours that do not affect someone's ability to function. And while not everyone who has PLEs will go onto develop psychosis, research now suggests that if they have them in adolescence, they're three to four times more likely to develop a psychotic disorder.

Dr. Tibbo will use the MRI to determine if THC -- the main psychoactive part of cannabis -- has an effect on the brain white matter and if it is linked to the incidence of PLEs. He is planning to recruit 160 participants, split equally between those who use cannabis and those who don't.

The project is also collecting data on the frequency of cannabis use and THC potency, which studies in Europe have shown has doubled in some areas over the last decade.

Dr. Tibbo is available to discuss the research and how it's hoped it will provide adolescents and young adults the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about cannabis use.

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Media contact:

Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Communications, Marketing and Creative Services
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca