Studies have shown that cannabis may worsen depression, yet popular media increasingly presents cannabis as beneficial to mental health. Many in the public view cannabis as beneficial for depression. Researchers examined the association between depression and cannabis use in the U.S. in adults ages 20-59 for the years 2005 through 2016. They observed a significant association between depression and any past-month cannabis use. This association strengthened when looking at daily past-month cannabis use. While cannabis use in the U.S. increased generally from 2005 to 2016, with a particular increase among people with depression to ~ 30% of individuals with depression using any cannabis in 2016 and 15% of those with depression using near-daily. Clinicians are advised to be aware of trends and evidence that cannabis is not effective in treating depression.
Article: Association of Depression With Past-Month Cannabis Use Among US Adults Aged 20 to 59 Years, 2005 to 2016