Global safety data reveals serious psychiatric risks from cannabis use

This groundbreaking World Health Organisation study analyzed nearly 10,000 safety reports from 44 countries involving cannabis and cannabinoids, revealing critical patterns in adverse drug reactions. The research examined real-world reports from VigiBase®, the WHO's global pharmacovigilance database, covering cases from 2020 to 2024. The findings paint a sobering picture: 68.5% of reported cases were serious, with 45.9% requiring hospitalization and 28.6% resulting in death. The typical affected individual was around 29 years old and predominantly male (62.7%), highlighting that adverse reactions span across cannabis users globally regardless of whether products were obtained legally or illicitly.

The most striking finding concerns the types of adverse reactions reported. Psychiatric disorders dominated at 29.2% of all suspected adverse drug reactions, followed closely by nervous system disorders at 16.8%. These mental health and neurological complications vastly outnumbered other serious conditions like cardiac problems (2.8%), respiratory issues (3.6%), and gastrointestinal problems (6.4%). Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabis sativa products were the most frequently reported substances, challenging the common perception that CBD is risk-free. France, Greece, and the USA reported the highest rates relative to their national surveillance data, suggesting either higher use rates or better reporting infrastructure in these countries.

This comprehensive safety analysis underscores an important public health message: while cannabis use continues expanding globally, our understanding of its potential psychiatric and neurological risks remains incomplete. The predominance of serious, hospitalization-requiring cases—not minor side effects—suggests that vulnerable populations may face significant health risks that warrant medical attention. Healthcare providers and policymakers now have concrete global data to inform counseling about cannabis safety, particularly regarding mental health consequences, challenging the assumption that cannabis is universally safe or that CBD products are risk-free alternatives.