Large Genetic Study Links Cannabis Use to Psychiatric, Cognitive and Physical Health

OG Article By Susanne Clara Bard

October 14 2025

New genetic study reveals connections between cannabis use and health outcomes, offering insights for prevention and treatment of cannabis use disorder.

Key Findings

• Study Overview: University of California San Diego and 23andMe researchers identified genetic links to cannabis use.

• Publication: Molecular Psychiatry, October 13, 2025.

• Goal: Understand genetic factors in cannabis use to inform prevention and treatment strategies.

“Cannabis is widely used, but its long-term effects on health remain poorly characterized.” — Sandra Sanchez-Roige, Ph.D., Senior Author

Research Approach

• Method: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) with 131,895 23andMe participants.

• Data: Survey responses on lifetime cannabis use and frequency.

• Analysis: Examined genetic correlations with psychiatric, cognitive, and physical health traits.

“Genetic tools like GWAS help us identify molecular systems connecting cannabis use to brain function and behavior.” — Abraham A. Palmer, Ph.D., Co-Author

Genetic Discoveries

• Key Genes:

  • CADM2: Linked to cell assembly, nerve signaling, impulsivity, obesity, and cancer metastasis. Associated with lifetime and frequent cannabis use.

  • GRM3: Tied to neuron communication, brain plasticity, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Linked to lifetime cannabis use.

• Additional Genes: 40 genes tied to lifetime use, four to frequency. 29 were newly identified.

Health Correlations

• Datasets: National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Program, Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s biobank.

• Traits Linked:

  • Psychiatric: Schizophrenia, ADHD, anxiety, depression.

  • Cognitive: Executive function, risk-taking.

  • Physical: Diabetes, chronic pain, coronary artery disease, tobacco use, HIV, viral hepatitis, autoimmune diseases.

“The genetics of cannabis use are tied to psychiatric traits, cognitive measures, and physical health problems.” — Sandra Sanchez-Roige, Ph.D.

Implications

• Significance: One of the first studies to explore genetic factors before cannabis use disorder develops.

• Future Impact: Findings may guide therapeutic targets and preventive measures.

• Current Gap: No FDA-approved treatments for cannabis use disorder exist.

“By studying intermediate traits, we can map how genetic risk unfolds before cannabis use disorder develops.” — Hayley Thorpe, Ph.D., First Author

Study Details

• Funding: National Institute on Drug Abuse (grants R01 DA050721, P50DA037844, P30DA060810), Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (grant T32IR5226).

• Ethics: 23andMe participants provided informed consent under an AAHRPP-accredited protocol.

• Disclosures: No conflicts of interest reported.