Cannabis and Young Adult Depression

To determine the influence of cannabis use on anxiety and depressive symptoms, Australian researchers followed a cohort of 3,239 young adults from birth to age 21. Potential confounding factors were measured at birth and at age 14. Subjects who began cannabis use before age 15 and continued heavily until age 21 were 3.4 times more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depressive symptoms. The authors reported that this association was similar for both cannabis-only users and those who used cannabis in conjunction with other illicit drugs. This study was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. http://www.jaacap.com/pt/re/jaacap/abstract.00004583-200703000-00016.htm

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