Boston Medical Center Psychiatrists Innovate to Treat Teenagers With Marijuana-Induced Psychosis

When teenagers smoked marijuana back in 1995, the amount of THC, or active ingredient in the drug, was about 4%. But times have changed. With new methods of testing, growing, and regulating marijuana, teens now have access to cannabis with increasingly higher levels of THC. One study found that in 2017 the average potency of marijuana had increased to 17%. This increased potency, plus easier access to many forms of marijuana in recent years, has some dedicated healthcare professionals working to address the possible mental health effects marijuana use may be having on young users, including the risk for psychosis.