WHY IT MATTERS: If you are using cannabis to manage anxiety or low mood, this research reinforces the importance of discussing your use openly with a knowledgeable clinician who can help evaluate whether cannabis is helping, harming, or simply co-existing with your mental health symptoms. CLINICAL OVERVIEW: Large-scale observational data from Canadian populations consistently shows that cannabis use and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression tend to cluster together, but establishing the direction of that relationship remains scientifically complex. Bidirectional associations are well-documented, meaning that some individuals use cannabis to manage pre-existing symptoms while others may experience worsening mood or anxiety as a consequence of use, particularly with high-THC products and frequent consumption patterns.
Adolescent Cannabis Use and Psychosis Risk: What This Cohort Study Shows and What It Does Not
A clinician-guided review of a large cohort study examining adolescent past-year cannabis use and subsequent psychiatric diagnoses, including psychosis and bipolar disorder. This article explains what the study measures, what it does not measure, and why causality cannot be assumed despite meaningful association signals.