Overview
- The peer-reviewed analysis in JAMA Health Forum tracked 463,396 adolescents screened during routine care from 2016 to 2023 and followed them to age 26.
- Past-year cannabis use was associated with about double the incidence of psychotic and bipolar disorders, with higher rates of depressive and anxiety disorders as well.
- Temporal patterns indicated cannabis exposure occurred 1.7 to 2.3 years before initial psychiatric diagnoses.
- Elevated risks remained after adjustments for prior mental health conditions and other substance use, the researchers reported.
- Authors called for public-health measures to reduce product potency, limit youth marketing, and strengthen prevention and treatment, highlighting higher use among Medicaid-enrolled teens and those in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods.