An international study exploring possible genetic influences on cannabis use disorder (CUD) has identified an association between the disorder and a region of DNA near the FOXP2 gene, previously linked to risk-taking behaviour.
Headed by Washington University School of Medicine, researchers analyzed DNA and other data from almost 21,000 people diagnosed with CUD and 360,000 who did not have that diagnosis, notes a press release on findings.
The team identified two regions in human DNA, the FOXP2 gene being one of them, that appear to contribute to the risk of becoming dependent on cannabis. Previously linked to CUD and nicotine addiction, the scientists also implicated the CHRNA2 gene.
“When we think about why some people who use cannabis develop problems with it, about 50 per cent of that risk is due to genetics,” Arpana Agrawal, Ph.D., a senior investigator and professor of psychiatry, says in the statement.
“While the variants that we found are not currently useful in letting someone know about their personal risk, the genetic pathways might lead to better treatments for cannabis addiction in the future,” Agrawal points out.
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