The study found that individuals diagnosed with cannabis use disorder were at a higher risk of developing clinical depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
A new study from JAMA Psychiatry reveals a significant association between chronic cannabis use and mental health disorders such as schizophrenia, clinical depression and bipolar disorder.
The study, which analyzed the medical records of over 6.5 million Danish citizens between 1995 and 2021, found that individuals diagnosed with cannabis use disorder were at a higher risk of developing clinical depression and bipolar disorder with psychotic symptoms.
Such health risks add to a growing body of evidence highlighting potential risks associated with heavy cannabis use, challenging the perception of weed consumption as a harmless habit.
What is cannabis use disorder?
The CDC characterizes it as craving marijuana, using it more often than intended, spending hours using it, and having it interfere with friends, family and work.
Over the past two decades, America has relaxed restrictions on marijuana, with 38 US states legalizing medicinal use and 24 states regulating its recreational use.
Cannabis use is widespread in the country, but regulations over it are not clear, leaving the market filled with potent marijuana strains and misleading packaging, causing an alarming rise in accidental ingestion of weed edibles by kids in the past five years.