A recent study partially funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has found that medical cannabis use is linked to noticeable improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms.
The research, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, followed 33 adults from Maryland dealing with clinically diagnosed depression and/or anxiety. The study monitored their progress over six months, checking in at the start and again after one, three, and six months of using medical marijuana.
Results showed significant reductions in depression and anxiety, with many patients reporting improvements significant enough to drop below clinical thresholds within the first three months. Patients continued to report relief throughout the six-month period.
Most participants opted for marijuana products that were high in THC. While many experienced mental health benefits, they also reported feeling more intoxicated and less confident in their ability to drive safely. Researchers noted that the effects varied with the dose, and the most noticeable symptom relief came from using at least three puffs of vaporized marijuana or up to 15mg of oral THC.
Among those involved in the study, 75% had used cannabis at some point in the past, and around 37% had consumed it within the last year. Although medical cannabis was legal in Maryland during the study, recreational use was still against the law at that time.
The research team included experts from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine, School of Public Health, and Cancer Center, along with collaborators from the Center for Alcohol Policy Research in Australia. Some of the researchers had ties to the cannabis industry, which was disclosed in the study’s conflict of interest section.
Despite the encouraging findings, the authors stressed the need for more rigorous clinical trials to better understand how safe and effective medical marijuana is for treating depression and anxiety.
There’s growing interest in the mental health effects of cannabis, especially as psychedelics and other alternatives gain traction. Past studies suggest that access to legal cannabis might reduce the need for prescription medications like antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anti-anxiety drugs. Other studies point to CBD as a potential treatment for depression and anxiety, with fewer side effects.
More broadly, people using medical marijuana for chronic pain have reported better sleep and improved mental health, adding to the growing evidence that cannabis could play a supportive role in treating emotional and psychological challenges.
These research findings support the medicinal use of marijuana products sold by numerous companies like TerrAscend Corp. (TSX: TSND) (OTCQX: TSNDF) in outlets found in jurisdictions that have reformed their marijuana laws to permit medical and/or recreational cannabis sales.
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