Mapping the global scientific literature on cannabis and schizophrenia from 1976 to 2024: a scientometric review

BackgroundModern scientometric tools allow mapping of trends and themes within a scientific domain. A scientometric analysis of the literature linking cannabis and schizophrenia has not been conducted before. MethodsBibliographic data for all articles and reviews with the terms cannabis (or marijuana) and schizophrenia in the title, abstract or keywords were obtained from the Web of Science (WoS). CiteSpace was used for co-citation analysis. VOSViewer was used for visualizing keyword and co-authorship networks. ResultsBetween 1976-2024, there were 3101 publications in total, with 130198 associated references. From 1976 until the 1990s, the research output remained minimal, but grew rapidly thereafter, peaking in 2020-2021. The most prolific author was Robin M. Murray, and the most prolific journal was Schizophrenia Research. The countries contributing most to the literature were USA (28%), UK (24%) and Australia (12.5%). Co-citation analysis revealed 13 research clusters. Earlier clusters dealt with epidemiological and clinical aspects. Trends in the middle period included gene-environment interactions, endocannabinoid system, therapeutic interventions, and the effects of cannabis on the brain. Recent trends included cannabidiol, causal explorations using genetic information, and the relationship between geographical variation in cannabis use and the epidemiology of psychoses. Potential future directions suggested by structural variation analysis included novel interventions for cannabis use in schizophrenia such as neuromodulation and technology-based psychotherapies, genetic risk stratification, immune/neuroendocrine markers, sex-specific issues, and forensic research. ConclusionThis scientometric review illustrated the evolution of scientific literature on cannabis and schizophrenia over five decades, and identified emerging trends and future directions.