Twenty-one states have legalized recreational marijuana use since 2012, and teen mental-health problems have been on the rise in the same period. The connection between the two, which I’ve observed in my work as a psychoanalyst, doesn’t get enough attention. A 2019 meta-analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry observed that “cannabis consumption in adolescence is associated with increased risk of developing major depression in young adulthood and suicidality, especially suicidal ideation.” A 2021 National Institutes of Health study likewise found a heightened risk of suicide, “greater for women than men.”
The idea that marijuana isn’t addictive is out of date. Weed was considered nonaddictive in the 1960s because the levels of the psychoactive chemical THC were minimal. But marijuana has steadily increased in potency, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 3 in 10 users have “cannabis use disorder.”
Already a member? Sign In
- TurboTax:
Final Early Bird Pricing! Last chance for up to $40 off TurboTax - American Eagle Outfitters:
15% off American Eagle promo code - Wayfair:
Wayfair promo code: 10% off any single purchase
