New Study Said Smoking Cannabis Doesn't Cause Clinical Anxiety or Depression

NEW YORK - Despite what you may have read, cannabis does not increase your risk of developing mood or anxiety disorders.

According to a new study, although past research has suggested that marijuana could cause short-term paranoia or psychotic disorders, a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry, attempts to debunk those theories. Researchers at Columbia University used a nationally representative sample of nearly 35,000 U.S. adults aged 18 years or older.

The participants were interviewed during the first session from 2001-2002 then again three years later from 2004-2005 in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.

In both studies, scientists used the same socio-demographic characteristics, family history of substance use disorder, disturbed family environment, childhood parental loss, low self-esteem and education.

Researchers determined that weed was linked to a 'significantly increased risk for developing alcohol, cannabis and other drug use disorders,' which also includes nicotine dependence.

"Use of cannabis can also lead to behavioral disinhibition, which increases the likelihood of use of other substances and the risk of abuse or dependence on those substances," the study suggests as reported by Daily Mail.

Cannabis smokers are five times more likely to develop an addiction to alcohol. And for those people already battling an alcohol use disorder, using marijuana is likely to aggravate their dependency.

"Our results suggest that cannabis use appears to be associated with an increased vulnerability to developing an alcohol use disorder, even among those without any history of this. Marijuana use also appears to increase the likelihood that an existing alcohol use disorder will continue over time," said Dr Renee Goodwin, an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health.

Dr Mark Olfson, who led the second study, said that 'these adverse psychiatric outcomes should be taken under careful consideration in clinical care'. Their findings also cautioned in the implementation of policies related to legalizing cannabis for recreational use because it could 'lead to greater availability and acceptance of cannabis, reduced perception of risk of use and increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes'.

Earlier this year another study suggested that cannabis may be a promising treatment option for a number of different physical and mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain.

Neuroscientists from the University of Buffalo found that chronic stress reduced the production of endocannabinoids, which affects our cognition, emotion and behavior, and have been linked to reduced feelings of pain and anxiety, increases in appetite and overall feelings of well-being, according to Huffington Post.

The new study challenges past studies citing cannabis causes paranoia. In a 2014 study, British researchers identified several psychological factors that can contribute to short-term paranoia in some people who use marijuana. The paranoia is caused by the main active ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), according to the researchers. It also seeks to challenge another study that found in 2014 that smoking cannabis does increase the risk of depression and anxiety.

Researchers concluded that brains of users were less able to react to dopamine, the feel-good chemical that inspires a spirit of get-up-and-go. The study added to previous research suggesting marijuana can lead to people becoming withdrawn, lethargic and apathetic.