Adolescents who use cannabis could face a significantly higher risk of developing serious psychiatric disorders by young adulthood, according to a large new study published today in JAMA Health Forum. The longitudinal study followed 463,396 adolescents ages 13 to 17 through age 26 and found that past-year cannabis use during adolescence was associated with a significantly higher risk of incident psychotic (doubled), bipolar (doubled), depressive and anxiety disorders.
The study analyzed electronic health record data from routine pediatric visits between 2016 and 2023. Cannabis use preceded psychiatric diagnoses by an average of 1.7 to 2.3 years. The study’s longitudinal design strengthens evidence that adolescent cannabis exposure is a potential risk factor for developing mental illness.
Unlike many prior studies, the research examined any self-reported past-year cannabis use, with universal screening of teens during standard pediatric care, rather than focusing only on heavy use or cannabis use disorder.
The study also found that cannabis use was more common among adolescents enrolled in Medicaid and those living in more socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods, raising concerns that expanding cannabis commercialization could exacerbate existing mental health disparities.
I’m glad they did this study, but as they controlled for hazards, they did jack all to explore the meaning of their results beyond how it lined up with their hypothesis.
Just because the study went the way the expected doesn’t mean there’s causality. In fact, there’s a bigger likelihood that adolescent cannabis use just doubles the likelihood of psychotic and bipolar diagnosis.
People are born with those conditions and weed just brings those behaviors out more easily. Specifically mania within those inclined to it from Bipolar.
I feel this study is fairly disingenuous seeing as it never bothers to consider the possibility that they are just more easily diagnosing these conditions in kids through their use of weed. These conditions are traditionally very hard to diagnose in children at ALL, as most psychotic behavior (that isn’t EXTREME) usually manifests in later life typically in the early to late 20’s.
Imo, this study has done nothing but prove that these conditions continue to go undiagnosed in children unless weed gives them enough comfort to behave in the more visibly psychotic ways most kids hide until adulthood.
No insult intended. Just surprised to not see this even considered in the study.