Health - pot takes another hit

[beentheredonethatagain]

[top]Depression

Weekly marijuana use increases the risk of depression later in life. Research shows people who were not depressed and used marijuana at the beginning of one study were four times more likely to suffer from depression at follow up.3 Those who were depressed, but did not use marijuana at the beginning of the study, were no more likely to use it at follow up. This figure is higher in teen girls. Female marijuana users, with no predisposition for depression or anxiety, are five times more likely to be depressed at 21 than non-users.

[top]Suicidal Thoughts

Marijuana can also be linked to suicidal thoughts. A study based on data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse found that teenagers 12 to 17 who smoke marijuana weekly are three times more likely to have thoughts of committing suicide.5 The same study linked increased anxiety and panic attacks to past year marijuana use.

[top]Schizophrenia

Several studies have documented marijuana’s link with symptoms of schizophrenia and report that cannabis is an independent risk factor for schizophrenia. Heavy users of marijuana at age 18 increased their risk of schizophrenia later in life by six times.7 Further reports have found marijuana use increased the risk of developing schizophrenia among people with no prior history of a disorder, and that early use of marijuana (age 15 vs. age 18) increased the risk even more.8 In addition, youth with a personal or family history of schizophrenia are at an even greater risk of marijuana-induced psychosis.