Pot–Gaming Combo May Increase Psychosis Risk
Researchers and recent peer‑reviewed studies warn that cannabis use (especially synthetic cannabinoids) and problematic video gaming are each linked to psychotic symptoms and that their combination—particularly in adolescents and young adults—could pose hidden mental‑health risks. The Fox News health piece cites multiple journal articles (JAMA Psychiatry; Journal of Psychiatric Research Sept. 2025; BMC Psychiatry 2023; Frontiers in Psychiatry 2024), explains proposed mechanisms (heightened dopamine activity, sleep disruption, cyberbullying, emotional dysregulation), and frames the findings amid U.S. policy debate over potential marijuana reclassification.
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🔍 Key Facts
- A JAMA Psychiatry study (April) associated cannabis use disorder with increased dopamine activity in brain pathways implicated in psychosis.
- A September 2025 Journal of Psychiatric Research paper found synthetic cannabinoid users experienced more severe and persistent psychotic symptoms and greater dissociation than natural‑cannabis users or nonusers.
- BMC Psychiatry (2023) and other studies identify insomnia and cyberbullying as mechanisms by which problematic gaming may trigger or worsen psychotic disorders, with adolescents at higher risk.