Background: Cannabis use is common amongst emerging adults and increasingly linked to negative mood and neurocognitive performance. Aerobic fitness, however, may be positively linked. Therefore we assess the potential moderating influence of aerobic fitness on affective and behavioral functioning associated with cannabis.
Methods: After 3-weeks of abstinence, 83 16-26 year-olds (38 cannabis, 45 controls) completed self-report inventories (BDI-II, STAI-state, FrSBe, BIS/BAS), an objective emotion functioning measure (PennCNP), and VO2 max testing. Multiple regressions assessed symptoms from past year cannabis use, VO2 max, and cannabis*VO2, controlling for alcohol, cotinine, gender, and BMI.
Results: Past year cannabis use was associated with increased depressive symptoms (p=.04), BIS/BAS component (p=.002), and emotion recognition (p=.045).
Conclusions: Results suggest a robust association between past year cannabis use and depressive symptoms and behavioral and affective functioning. Aerobic fitness, however, did not moderate these relationships. Efforts should be made to inform the public of concerns regarding the potential negative impact of cannabis on mood.
Keywords: Cannabis; VO2 max; aerobic fitness; behavioral approach; depression; mood.