Study looks at link between marijuana use, mental illness
Posted April 2, 2013 10:37 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – People with mental illnesses are seven times more likely to use pot than those without a mental illness, according to a new study.
Researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health looked at data from the US and found people with mental illness use marijuana more often, perhaps as a way to self-medicate.
A doctor who worked on the study says this is concerning because it could worsen their symptoms.
It also showed people with a mental illness were ten times more likely to have what they call a “cannabis use disorder.”
The study did not look at whether people used pot to deal with their mental illness or became ill because of the marijuana.
