Summary Summary Short summary of a recent publication, written by scientific experts. Published: Jul 04, 2019

Cholinergic receptor nicotinic α2 subunit (CHRNA2) associated with cannabis use disorder

Takeaway

  • A genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified a risk locus for cannabis use disorder (CUD) associated with expression of cholinergic receptor nicotinic α2 subunit (CHRNA2).

Why this matters

  • Preliminary evidence that CHRNA2 could be a potential therapeutic target for CUD, a disorder affecting around 1–1.5% of Europeans and Americans that is associated with psychiatric problems.