Mdedge Psychcast

Richard Balon, MD, returns to the Psychcast, this time to conduct a Masterclass on the impact of marijuana use on patients, particularly adolescents. Dr. Balon is professor of clinical psychiatry and anesthesiology and associate chair of education at Wayne State University in Detroit. He has no disclosures. Take-home points Marijuana remains a controversial topic as potential legalization looms large in public policy and various groups espouse the positive benefits of marijuana. Current marijuana formulations are more potent than formulations used in previous years. Formulations used today have a higher tetrahydrocannabinol content, with up to 80% THC content achieved through artificial selection. Clinicians are rightly concerned about the well-established negative effects of marijuana on specific populations, particularly adolescents. They also worry about the effect of marijuana on brain development, which could affect educational outcomes, and the significant risk of developing psychosis and/or schizophre