Genome-wide association studies of lifetime and frequency cannabis use in 131,895 individuals

Hayley H. A. Thorpe; Pierre Fontanillas; John J. Meredith; Mariela V. Jennings; Renata Basso Cupertino; Shreya Reddy Pakala; Sarah L. Elson; Jibran Younis Khokhar; Lea Karatheodoris Davis; Emma C. Johnson; Abraham A. Palmer; Sandra Sanchez‐Roige

doi:10.1038/s41380-025-03219-2

Genetic & Genomic MedicineMolecular PsychiatryOct 12, 2025

Peer-reviewed journal article

Genome-wide association studies of lifetime and frequency cannabis use in 131,895 individuals

Hayley H. A. Thorpe iD, Pierre Fontanillas iD, John J. Meredith iD, Mariela V. Jennings, Renata Basso Cupertino iD, Shreya Reddy Pakala iD, Sarah L. Elson iD, Jibran Younis Khokhar iD, Lea Karatheodoris Davis iD, Emma C. Johnson iD, Abraham A. Palmer iD, Sandra Sanchez‐Roige iD

Abstract

Cannabis is one of the most widely used drugs globally. Decriminalization of cannabis is further increasing cannabis consumption. We performed genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of lifetime (N=131,895) and frequency (N=73,374) of cannabis use. Lifetime cannabis use GWAS identified two loci, one near CADM2 (rs11922956, p=2.40E-11) and another near GRM3 (rs12673181, p=6.90E-09). Frequency of use GWAS identified one locus near CADM2 (rs4856591, p=8.10E-09; r2=0.76 with rs11922956). Both traits were heritable and genetically correlated with previous GWASs of lifetime use and cannabis use disorder (CUD), as well as other substance use and cognitive traits. Polygenic scores (PGSs) for lifetime and frequency of cannabis use associated cannabis use phenotypes in AllofUs participants. Phenome-wide association study of lifetime cannabis use PGS in a hospital cohort replicated associations with substance use and mood disorders, and uncovered associations with celiac and infectious diseases. This work demonstrates the value of GWASs of CUD transition risk factors.

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