Adolescents who use cannabis could face a significantly higher risk of developing serious psychiatric disorders by young adulthood, according to a large study published 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.
I suspect correlation and causation are inverted here. As someone with PTSD, dissociative disorder and who sometimes experiences psychosis, I have successfully self-medicated with weed. It helps a lot with some symptoms. It can make me a bit paranoid, but that’s a manageable side effect.
I would bet that adolescents who need weed to self-medicate are more likely to have had these undiagnosed health issues. I don’t believe that weed causes them.
I suspect correlation and causation are inverted here. As someone with PTSD, dissociative disorder and who sometimes experiences psychosis, I have successfully self-medicated with weed. It helps a lot with some symptoms. It can make me a bit paranoid, but that’s a manageable side effect.
I would bet that adolescents who need weed to self-medicate are more likely to have had these undiagnosed health issues. I don’t believe that weed causes them.