Breakthrough Summit: Cannabis-Induced Psychosis

This weekend, a powerful and deeply personal conversation is unfolding in Colorado. A documentary team is attending a storytelling summit focused on a topic rarely discussed in mainstream media: cannabis-induced psychosis (CIP). The event, organized in part by advocate Whitney Jaeger, aims to elevate the voices of families who have experienced firsthand the devastating impact of high-potency cannabis on mental health.

Cannabis-induced psychosis is a serious and often misunderstood condition characterized by delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, and cognitive decline. While many people safely use cannabis recreationally or medically, a growing body of evidence suggests that high-potency THC products can trigger psychotic episodes, even in individuals without a history of mental illness.

Whitney Jaeger, whose son tragically died in 2021 after experiencing cannabis-induced psychosis (CIP), is among those leading this awareness effort. Her son was just 23 years old and one semester away from graduating from the University of Colorado when he began experiencing severe paranoia and delusional thinking.

Jaeger says her son believed the FBI and CIA were after him—a classic symptom of psychosis. His condition ultimately led to a fatal encounter with law enforcement.

The summit hopes to humanize the statistics and highlight the long-ignored dangers associated with today’s cannabis, which has seen THC concentrations soar from 4–7% in the 1980s to as high as 95% in some modern products.

This dramatic increase is fueling a rise in acute psychiatric emergencies, especially among teens and young adults.

Despite assumptions that cannabis-induced psychosis (CIP) affects only those predisposed to mental illness, new research shows it can happen to anyone. A single psychotic episode caused by cannabis use raises a person’s risk of developing schizophrenia by 47%.

Peer-reviewed studies from leading journals such as The Lancet and JAMA now support these findings, and the condition has even been assigned its own insurance diagnostic code. It's also being considered for inclusion in the upcoming edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-6).

Jaeger’s mission goes beyond sharing her family's tragedy. She speaks for countless other families who have lost loved ones to cannabis-induced psychosis (CIP), often through suicide or tragic violence. She urges education efforts targeting middle school, high school, and college students who may not understand the risks of high-potency cannabis.

The storytelling summit serves as both a memorial and a call to action. As Jaeger said, “We have to get the word out.” With more research emerging and public awareness growing, conversations like this are crucial to safeguarding the mental health of future generations.

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