Depression Linked to Early Pot Smoking

A new research released recently indicates that smoking marijuana during teen years could increase the risk of developing depression. The study however does not indicate if marijuana is the sole cause of this.

There are quite a number of studies that show links between a heightened risk of depression and the use of marijuana; it is also linked with anxiety disorders. Overall however, whether the use of marijuana solely contributes towards these links or if other factors are present, are still somewhat hazy.

The recently released study carried out by the World Health Organization was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology and includes data from over 50,000 persons from over seventeen countries.

In general, the study indicates a fairly moderate link between depression and smoking pot before 17 years of age. Across the seventeen countries, the study showed the risk of suffering from depression move up to 50%.

This link stayed the same, even when the researchers added in other factors such as mental health issues, addictive habits such as drinking, smoking and marijuana use. The link between depression and marijuana use only lessened when childhood issues were factored in. These included anything from playing hooky, shoplifting and school yard brawls.

The main researcher involved in the WHO study, Dr. Ron de Graaf who is from the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction in Utrecht said that behaviour issues could be one reason for the close link between depression and the use of marijuana. Unfortunately though, the data available from some countries were insufficient with regards to conduct issues, especially in South Africa and New Zealand where the link was the strongest.