The association between regular marijuana use and adult mental health outcomes

Katarina Guttmannova; Rick Kosterman; Helene R White; Jennifer A Bailey; Jungeun Olivia Lee; Marina Epstein; Tiffany M Jones; J David Hawkins

doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.06.016

The association between regular marijuana use and adult mental health outcomes

Drug Alcohol Depend. 2017 Oct 1:179:109-116. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.06.016. Epub 2017 Jul 18.

Authors

Katarina Guttmannova¹, Rick Kosterman², Helene R White³, Jennifer A Bailey⁴, Jungeun Olivia Lee⁵, Marina Epstein⁶, Tiffany M Jones⁷, J David Hawkins⁸

Affiliations

¹ Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Box 354944, Seattle, WA 98195-4944, USA. Electronic address: kg27@uw.edu.
² Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, 9725 3rd Ave NE, Suite 401, Seattle, WA 98115, USA. Electronic address: rickk@uw.edu.
³ Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, 607 Allison Rd., Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. Electronic address: hewhite@smithers.rutgers.edu.
⁴ Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, 9725 3rd Ave NE, Suite 401, Seattle, WA 98115, USA. Electronic address: jabailey@uw.edu.
⁵ School of Social Work, University of Southern California, 1150 S. Olive Street, Suite 1400, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA. Electronic address: lee363@usc.edu.
⁶ Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, 9725 3rd Ave NE, Suite 401, Seattle, WA 98115, USA. Electronic address: marinaep@uw.edu.
⁷ Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, 9725 3rd Ave NE, Suite 401, Seattle, WA 98115, USA. Electronic address: tjones03@uw.edu.
⁸ Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, 9725 3rd Ave NE, Suite 401, Seattle, WA 98115, USA. Electronic address: jdh@uw.edu.

Abstract

Objective: The present study is a prospective examination of the relationship between regular marijuana use from adolescence through young adulthood and mental health outcomes at age 33.

Methods: Data came from a gender-balanced, ethnically diverse longitudinal panel of 808 participants from Seattle, Washington. Outcomes included symptom counts for six mental health disorders. Regular marijuana use was tracked during adolescence and young adulthood. Regression analyses controlled for demographics and early environment, behaviors, and individual risk factors.

Results: Nonusers of marijuana reported fewer symptoms of alcohol use disorder, nicotine dependence, and generalized anxiety disorder than any category of marijuana users. More persistent regular marijuana use in young adulthood was positively related to more symptoms of cannabis use disorder, alcohol use disorder, and nicotine dependence at age 33.

Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of avoiding regular marijuana use, especially chronic use in young adulthood. Comprehensive prevention and intervention efforts focusing on marijuana and other substance use might be particularly important in the context of recent legalization of recreational marijuana use in Washington and other U.S. states.

Keywords: Adult mental health; Cannabis; Persistence; Regular marijuana use.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Alcoholism / psychology*
Anxiety Disorders / psychology*
Humans
Marijuana Use / adverse effects
Marijuana Use / psychology*
Mental Health
Prospective Studies
Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology*
Substance-Related Disorders / psychology
Tobacco Use Disorder / psychology*
United States
Washington

Grants and funding

R01 DA033956/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States