Recent shifts in societal attitudes toward cannabis have led to a dramatic increase in consumption rates in many Western countries, particularly among young people. This trend has shed light on a significant link between cannabis use disorder (CUD) and pathological reactive aggression, a condition involving disproportionate aggressive and violent reactions to minor provocations. The discourse on the connection between cannabis use and aggression is frequently enmeshed in political and legal discussions, leading to a polarized understanding of the causative relationship between cannabis use and aggression. However, integrative analyses from both human and animal research indicate a complex, bidirectional interplay between cannabis misuse and pathological aggression. On the one hand, emerging research reveals a shared genetic and environmental predisposition for both cannabis use and aggression, suggesting a common underlying biological mechanism. On the other hand, there is evidence that cannabis consumption can lead to violent behaviors while also being used as a self-medication strategy to mitigate the negative emotions associated with pathological reactive aggression. This suggests that the coexistence of pathological aggression and CUD may result from overlapping vulnerabilities, potentially creating a self-perpetuating cycle where each condition exacerbates the other, escalating into externalizing and violent behaviors. This article aims to synthesize existing research on the intricate connections between these issues and propose a theoretical model to explain the neurobiological mechanisms underpinning this complex relationship.

中文翻译：

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“消灭”暴力？大麻与攻击行为之间神经心理生物学联系的转化视角


最近社会对大麻态度的转变导致许多西方国家尤其是年轻人的消费率急剧上升。这一趋势揭示了大麻使用障碍（CUD）与病理性反应性攻击之间的显着联系，病理性反应性攻击是对轻微挑衅做出不成比例的攻击性和暴力反应的情况。关于大麻使用和攻击行为之间联系的讨论经常陷入政治和法律讨论中，导致人们对大麻使用和攻击行为之间因果关系的理解两极分化。然而，人类和动物研究的综合分析表明，大麻滥用和病态攻击之间存在复杂的双向相互作用。一方面，新兴研究揭示了大麻使用和攻击行为的共同遗传和环境倾向，表明了共同的潜在生物机制。另一方面，有证据表明，吸食大麻可能导致暴力行为，同时也被用作一种自我治疗策略，以减轻与病理性反应性攻击相关的负面情绪。这表明病态攻击和 CUD 的共存可能是由于重叠的脆弱性造成的，可能会形成一个自我延续的循环，其中每种情况都会加剧另一种情况，升级为外化和暴力行为。本文旨在综合关于这些问题之间复杂联系的现有研究，并提出一个理论模型来解释支撑这种复杂关系的神经生物学机制。