Cannabinoids and psychotic symptoms A potential role for a genetic variant in the P2X purinoceptor 7 (P2RX7) gene.
To investigate the biological mechanisms underlying the higher risk for psychosis in those that use cannabis, we conducted a genome-wide environment-interaction study (GWEIS). In a sample of individuals without a psychiatric disorder (N 1262), we analyzed the interactions between regular cannabis use and genotype with psychotic-like experiences (PLE) as outcome. PLE were measured using the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE). The sample was enriched for those at the extremes of both cannabis use and PLE to increase power. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the P2RX7 gene (rs7958311) was associated with risk for a high level of psychotic experiences in regular cannabis users (p 1.10 x10