Marijuana abuse by youth with mood disorders linked to suicide attempts, self-harm and death, study finds

This article originally appeared on CNN on January 20, 2021, by Sandee LaMotte.

“‘People who begin using marijuana before the age of 18 are four to seven times more likely to develop a marijuana use disorder than adults,’ NIDA advises. About 4 million people in the United States met the diagnostic criteria for a marijuana use disorder in 2015, the NIDA estimates.

Experts say that number will have grown due to a rise in potency in today’s varieties of weed, along with the legalization of recreational marijuana for adults in 15 states and medical use in 36 states.

Studies in adults show a strong association between overuse of weed and suicide attempts and death. A study of adult same-sex twins found those who were dependent on marijuana were nearly three times more likely to attempt suicide than their twin who was not dependent on weed.”

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