New Study Says Marijuana Does Not Cause Anxiety or Depression

A new study has released evidence that adult marijuana use does not cause anxiety disorders or depression. Information was collected from almost 35,000 patient records during 2001 – 2002 that participated in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.

The examined patient records were re-checked after a 3-year period of time to establish rates of increased mental health problems, according to The Washington Post. Several factors were taken into consideration to make a determination regarding mental health status.

Controlling factors included in the study:

• Family history
• Family environment
• Past and present psychiatric disorders
• Socio-demographic characteristics

Lead study author, Mark Olfson, believes that previous studies with contradicting findings failed to factor in additional confounding factors. He and his colleagues believe that existing mental health disorders and other factors are cause for increased anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression and a variety of other mental health disorders, more than any other contributing factor.

Addiction and mental health specialist Keith Humphreys said in an email that, “Olfson’s research is a strike against the hypothesis that cannabis use causes mood and anxiety disorders.”

Upon completion of analyzing all of the data, the researchers concluded that “cannabis use was not associated with increased risk for developing mood or anxiety disorders.”