A Maine psychiatrist has observed a significant rise in young patients experiencing psychotic symptoms linked to high-potency cannabis use. Dr. Amy Mayhew, clinical director for Maine Medical Center’s Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Portland, said, “I didn’t used to care at all about cannabis and psychosis or cannabis in general, but I just have seen so many patients recently that didn’t have a psychiatric history, didn’t have any history of psychosis in their family that have gotten psychotic from using high potency cannabis.” Mayhew began noticing this trend after starting work in an early psychosis program in 2020, finding it unusual for so many patients to develop psychotic illnesses without any family history.Patients have reported symptoms such as hearing voices, delusions, paranoia, and feelings of disassociation or depersonalization, which Dr. Mayhew described as feeling like being in a dream state. “People can hear voices. People can get delusional. They can think that people are after them. They can become paranoid,” she said, noting that these symptoms are “very common.”While MaineHealth does not track data on psychiatric hospitalizations linked to cannabis, newly released research from Massachusetts shows a dramatic increase in adolescent patients testing positive for THC after adult-use dispensaries opened, rising from 5% to 17.3% in the first year. The most recent Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey showed a decrease in cannabis use among participants, with 14.6% reporting use in the last month, down from 18.7% in 2023. However, Dr. Mayhew remains concerned about the risks of frequent, high-potency cannabis use among teens.Dr. Mayhew highlighted the increased potency of cannabis products today, explaining, “If you’re dabbing or vaping, there’s going to be up to 95% THC.” For those struggling with mental health challenges or substance use disorders, help is available, including a map of resources from the Maine chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.Support is also available through the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline which can also be reached 24 hours a day by calling or texting 988.