New research from the Danish psychiatric project, iPSYCH, shows that a specific gene is associated with an increased risk of cannabis abuse. The gene is the source of a so-called nicotine receptor in the brain, and people with low amounts of this receptor have an increased risk of cannabis abuse.
iPSYCH shows that a specific gene is associated with an increased risk of cannabis abuse
Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug in both Denmark and internationally, and around one in ten users becomes addicted to the drug. Researchers from iPSYCH have discovered a gene that they associate with the abuse of cannabis.
Disorder associated with a genetic variant
We discovered that the disorder was associated with a genetic variant. This variant affects how much of a certain nicotine receptor is formed in the brain,” said Associate Professor Ditte Demontis from Aarhus University, who is behind the study
The genetic variant discovered by the researchers affects how much of a specific nicotine receptor is formed. People who have less of this receptor in the brain are at greater risk of becoming cannabis abusers.
Genome of more than 2,000 cannabis abusers and the genome of 50,000 control subjects used in study
Ditte Demontis and her colleagues used a nationwide Danish cohort to analyse the complete genome of more than 2,000 cannabis abusers and the genome of 50,000 control subjects. The researchers subsequently repeated these findings in an analysis of a further 5,500 cannabis abusers and more than 300,000 control subjects.
Researchers also included genetic data from studies in which researchers examined the underlying genetics for cognition
The researchers also included genetic data from studies in which researchers examined the underlying genetics for cognition such as e.g. the ability to complete an education.
Here, they found that people with a higher number of genetic variants associated with impaired cognition also have an increased risk of cannabis abuse.
“People who abuse cannabis often do worse in the education system, and our results show that this can be partly explained by genetics. That is to say that people with an abuse problem have more genetic variations in the genome which increase the risk of cannabis abuse, while at the same time negatively affecting their ability to get an education,” explains Ditte Demontis.
Study is the first of its kind on this scale
The study is the first of its kind on this scale and represents a step towards understanding the particular biological mechanisms, which lie behind the abuse of cannabis.
“We need to undertake even more research into how the genetic differences in the genome contribute to the development of cannabis abuse, and we need to map out the precise biological mechanisms that lead to one person having a higher risk of becoming a substance abuser than another. Our hope is to be able to improve treatment and perhaps in the long-term even prevent this abuse,” says Ditte Demontis.
Source:
- Demontis, D. et al. (2019) Genome-wide association study implicates CHRNA2 in cannabis use disorder. Nature Neuroscience. doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0416-1.
Razi Berry is the founder and publisher of the journal Naturopathic Doctor News & Review, which has been in print since 2005, and the premier consumer-faced website of naturopathic medicine, NaturalPath. She is the host of The Natural Cancer Prevention Summit and The Heart Revolution-Heal, Empower and Follow Your Heart, and the popular 10 week Sugar Free Summer program. From a near death experience as a young girl that healed her failing heart, to later overcoming infertility and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia through naturopathic medicine, Razi has lived the mind/body healing paradigm. Her projects uniquely capture the tradition and philosophy of naturopathy: The healing power of nature, the vital life force in every living thing and the undeniable role that science and mind/body medicine have in creating health and overcoming dis-ease. Follow Razi on Facebook at Razi Berry and join us at Love is Medicine to explore the convergence of love and health.
