Cannabis-induced psychosis: A coming epidemic?

Date and time Tue 8 Nov 2022 from 6:00pm to 7:45pm
Location Online
Organised by Psychiatry

Join us in this meeting to gain an in depth understanding of the effects of Cannabis.

With key speakers Sir Robin Murray, Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, who pioneered research into the use of cannabis and its effect on health, and Dr Di Forti, founder of the specialist Cannabis Clinic for Patients with Psychosis.

The purpose of this meeting is to provide participants with up-to-date research on the use of cannabis. Exploring questions including: Is Cannabis safe? What are the main physiological and mental effects? What is the related psychopathology? How are young people affected?

The Psychopathology linked to the use of cannabis, especially high potency cannabis, has immediate and long-term deleterious effects. This meeting will focus on research leading to our current understanding of the effects of cannabis, and evidence-based prevention and treatment measures as applied in the Cannabis Clinic for Patients with Psychosis - a specialist clinic changing the lives of people struggling with psychosis due to high potency cannabis use.

Benefits of attending:

Learn how Cannabis use manifests itself, especially in young people. Reference to the research will enable participants to gain an evidence-based perspective on the latest thinking about the use of cannabis in this age group.
Participants will receive a description of the establishment and work of the Cannabis Clinic for Patients with Psychosis, enabling them to translate research findings into practice and apply models of care to their own local needs.

The speakers are nationally and internationally renowned specialists in the study of psychotic disorders at the Kings College London Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at the Social, Genetic & the Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) Centre  Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and Department of Psychology.

Sir Robin Murray

Professor of Psychiatric Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London

Speaker's biography

Sir Robin Murray is Professor of Psychiatric Research at the Institute of Psychiatry, London. He was one of the first to suggest that schizophrenia was in part a neurodevelopmental disorder, and he has contributed to the understanding that environmental factors such as obstetric events, drug abuse and social adversity increase the risk of psychosis. He is the most frequently cited psychosis researcher outside the USA, has supervised 80 PhDs and 12 MD Theses, and 40 of his students have become full professors. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2010 and received a knighthood in 2011.

Dr Marta Di Forti

Clinical Reader in Psychosis Studies, King's College London and Consultant Psychiatrist, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Speaker's biography

Dr Marta Di Forti is a Clinical Reader in Psychosis Research at the Dept of Social, Developmental and Genetic Research, Institute of Psychiatry, and Honorary Consultant Adult Psychiatrist, Lambeth EI Community team, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. She leads the first Cannabis Clinic for patients with Psychotic disorders in UK. She was recently awarded the Royal College of Psychiatrist Researcher of the year prize. In 2020 she was granted a MRC Senior Research Fellowship to expand her research in the role of cannabis use in psychosis and its underlying biology. With her team she showed for the first time that use of high potency types of cannabis e.g. "skunk" carries a higher risk of psychosis than use of traditional types and that it affects rates of Psychotic disorders across Europe. Though it still remains unclear who are those cannabis use most at risk.

View the programme

6:00pm

Welcome and introduction

Dr Gordana Milavić, President, Psychiatry Section, Royal Society of Medicine

6:05pm

Reefer madness

Sir Robin Murray, Professor of Psychiatric Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London

6:45pm

Cannabis clinic for patients with psychosis

Dr Marta Di Forti, Clinical Reader in Psychosis Studies, King's College London and Consultant Psychiatrist, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

7:25pm

Questions and answers

7:45pm

Close of meeting

Registration for this event will close on Tuesday 8 November 2022 at 5:00pm. Late registrations will not be accepted.

The agenda is subject to change at any time.

All views expressed at this event are of the speakers themselves and not of the Royal Society of Medicine, nor the speaker's organisations.

We are only able to share presentations that we have received permission to share. This is at the presenter and the RSM’s discretion.

Cannabis-induced psychosis: A coming epidemic?

About this event

Key speakers