Does cannabis help or worsen depression?

Depression has been called the disease of the modern age. It affects more than 17 million Americans, and lifestyle factors can contribute to the disorder. Modern populations are often sedentary, lacking in sunlight and sleep, socially isolated and stressed, all of which have a significant impact on people’s well-being, jobs and lives.

The relationship between cannabis and depression is complex. For some consumers, cannabis can elevate mood; for others, cannabis can make depressive symptoms worse. To date, no clinical trials have focused on cannabis as a treatment for depression, so it’s currently difficult to draw definitive conclusions about whether the plant is helpful or harmful for people with depression.

The available research suggests that the link between depression and cannabis is very nuanced. As new studies come to light, it may be that dose, cannabinoids, and patterns of use can all influence whether cannabis can alleviate or worsen depression.

What is depression?

Depression is a collective term for a range of mood disorders that tend to share certain defining symptoms. People with depression often feel down, hopeless, or sad, and suffer from irregular sleeping or eating habits, lack of energy, and an inability to feel excited or happy.

The most common types of depression include:

• Bipolar disorder: Formerly known as manic depression, this disorder is defined by high-energy episodes and low-energy depressive episodes
• Seasonal Affective Disorder: This disorder is common in climates and regions with less sunlight during certain times of the year
• Depression: A condition characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest in life, interfering with daily functioning
• Persistent Depressive Disorder: A depressed mood that lasts for two years or more
• postpartum depression: Depression that occurs after childbirth

While depression is classified as a mood disorder or mental illness, it also has physical health implications. For example, adults with symptoms of depression have a 64% higher risk of developing coronary artery disease. Twenty to thirty percent of people with heart disease also suffer from depression.

Researchers have now recognized that depression is often caused by a combination of different mechanisms. Various factors, both inside and outside the body, can trigger depression, including genetic factors, environmental factors, inflammation in the brain, and others. Awareness of this variety of factors can help create a more complete picture of what is causing the disorder and how to treat it.

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Depression and the endocannabinoid system

While there are many factors that can contribute to depression, recent attention has focused on the role played by one of the critical systems in the body: the endocannabinoid system, or ECS.

The ECS is a neurochemical signaling network that stretches throughout the body and helps maintain the healthy functioning of processes like sleep, memory, mood, and appetite. It keeps the body in balance.

The cannabinoids in cannabis cause effects in the body via the endocannabinoid system, which is why cannabis can affect a person’s mood, appetite, and sleepiness.

While we still have a lot to learn about the endocannabinoid system, one thing is certain: a properly functioning ECS ​​is essential to maintaining mental health. ECS dysregulation has been implicated in a variety of diseases, including psychiatric disorders.

Recent findings suggest that the ECS may play a crucial role in depression. For example, one study found that women diagnosed with depression had altered endocannabinoid levels compared to participants without depression.

In other studies, the CB1 receptors – part of the endocannabinoid system – were removed from rodents through genetic modification, and it was then observed that the animals were unable to experience joy and pleasure. The researchers also discovered that the animals were more likely to develop other symptoms associated with depression.

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Is Cannabis a Treatment or Cause of Depression?

A large 2020 study emphasized that while it is clear that cannabinoids and terpenes in cannabis may have antidepressant effects, no randomized controlled trials have been conducted to investigate this finding. In short, there is currently no robust clinical evidence that cannabis could be an effective treatment for depression.

While the jury is still out on the science, many cannabis users have already made up their minds. Mood elevation is one of the most commonly cited reasons for using marijuana. People around the world have used cannabis for millennia to increase sociability, induce feelings of euphoria, and alter perception.

In a recent meta-analysis, a comprehensive analysis of the results of multiple scientific studies, 34% of participants reported using cannabis to treat depression and bad mood – despite the fact that there are no states in the US that recognize depression as a qualifying condition for Include cannabis use.

However, many medicinal cannabis patients suffering from depression also live with pain – and relieving pain often relieves depression. For example, up to 54% of patients seeking treatment for chronic pain reported depression.

Researchers have also spent time trying to figure out whether cannabis use can cause depression — or whether depression leads to cannabis use. Recent findings suggest that both could be true, but there is stronger evidence that depression triggers cannabis use. One study found that people with depression were more than twice as likely to use cannabis on a daily basis.

Research also suggests that long-term or heavy cannabis use may also increase the likelihood of developing depression. This does not mean that all long-term or heavy cannabis users will develop depression: other factors such as gender, genes, tolerance and personal circumstances also play a role.

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How cannabis dose, cannabinoids and terpenes can affect depression

It’s important to note that the relationship between cannabis and depression is extremely nuanced, a fact that many experts acknowledge and often overlook. Frequency of use, amount used, cannabinoid concentrations, and even the terpenes present can all have an impact on whether cannabis contributes to or helps relieve depressive symptoms.

dose

Those already familiar with cannabis know that the effects of a single hit versus a whole joint can result in different experiences. Cannabis, like many other substances, can produce opposite results at different doses – a phenomenon known as bi-directional effects.

In some individuals, very high doses of THC can increase depression, anxiety, and negative mood, a finding confirmed by other studies. On the other hand, low doses can reduce anxiety and feelings of stress, and help induce a mild euphoria or uplifted feeling.

However, many of these studies did not identify exact doses, so it is unclear how much or how little qualifies as high or low dose. It’s also worth noting that doses don’t affect everyone in the same way – factors like personal tolerance, metabolism, and even what you ate for lunch can significantly affect your response to cannabis.

Until more research is done specifically examining the effects of cannabis dosage on depressive symptoms, it’s hard to say conclusively exactly how dosage affects depression.

cannabinoids

Studies also suggest that different combinations of cannabinoids may also have an impact on whether cannabis relieves or worsens symptoms of depression.

There is evidence that THC taken with CBD may be beneficial for treating depression in the short term. One study found that low-THC, high-CBD cannabis was most effective at reducing perceived symptoms of depression. In contrast, high THC/high CBD cannabis was found to be best at reducing perceived stress symptoms.

Preliminary data also suggest that CBD alone may offer therapeutic benefits in managing depression symptoms. Other research found that oral CBD reduced depressive symptoms in frequent cannabis users. This finding is consistent with the finding that CBD can counteract THC-induced anxiety in the previous study.

Additionally, in a survey of 2,409 CBD users, many participants reported using CBD for depression. The survey also found that almost 36% of participants believed that CBD treated their condition very well itself, but it’s important to note that the data provided an overall analysis of CBD’s perceived effectiveness for a range of conditions, and not specifically for Depressions.

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terpenes

Finally, it appears that the terpenes found in cannabis may also contribute to the plant’s antidepressant effects. Many common cannabis terpenes such as β-caryophyllene and myrcene are already associated with anxiolytic effects. Anxiety often goes hand in hand with depression.

There is also evidence that several other terpenes can relieve depressive symptoms. In a study comparing certain cannabis terpenes to fluoxetine, a widely used antidepressant, both linalool and β-pinene were found to induce antidepressant effects in mice.

A unique synergy occurs when cannabinoids, terpenes, and other compounds in cannabis combine, a phenomenon known as the entourage effect. When it comes to treating the symptoms associated with depression, utilizing the right combinations and ratios of cannabinoids and terpenes can be key to enhancing the plant’s therapeutic benefits. Future research will show.

Emma Stone

Emma Stone is a New Zealand-based journalist specializing in cannabis, health and well-being. She has a Ph.D. in sociology and has worked as a researcher and lecturer, but prefers to be a writer. She would enjoy spending her days writing, reading, walking outdoors, eating, and swimming.

Check out Emma Stone’s articles

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