Can Weed Make You Depressed?

Indeed, chronic marijuana use has the ability to make one depressed. This is because marijuana dampens the brain’s reaction to dopamine. In the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the brains of 24 marijuana users were studied to assess how they reacted to the drug Ritalin, a stimulant often prescribed to ADHD patients. The findings showed that the marijuana abusers had dampened behavioural, and brain responses to the drug. The research went on to conclude that marijuana dampens the brain’s dopamine reaction to most stimulants, and also adversely affects reward processing capacity.

A stunted dopamine flow and inability to see the value in rewards for effort expended can all leave a user feeling depressed. This suggests that cannabis users will experience less pleasure from things non-users enjoy. When considering how marijuana affects depression, it is important to take the dose size into account. A 2007 study found that low doses of THC had the ability to increase serotonin levels in mice. The same study also found that high doses actually caused serotonin levels to deplete resulting in a worsening of depressive symptoms. Since many users take weed to soothe their depression, being mindful of cannabis’ ability to disrupt emotional processing would be wise.

Research also shows that the likelihood of marijuana to ease symptoms of depression is higher while the user is actually intoxicated. Once the high has worn off, however, depression symptoms are more likely to rear their heads. Age is also a factor. Studies have shown that persistent cannabis use among teenagers is a reliable predictor of depression as well as anxiety disorders later in life. Incidentally, women are more susceptible to this than men.

On the opposite side of the coin, there is evidence that cannabis can effectively treat depression. Dating back to 1621, an English clergyman by the name of Robert Burton recommended cannabis to treat depression in his book The Anatomy of Melancholy. A study done at McGill University in 2006 also found that daily cannabis consumers have lower depressive symptoms than non-users. The University Medical Centre Utrecht in the Netherlands praised THC’s ability to cure depression after a study of the endocannabinoid system showed that it can alter the response to negative images or emotions for the better. Senior researchers at the University of Buffalo did studies on chronic stress and depression and concluded that since stress is a major cause of depression, and cannabis can be a major stress reliever, marijuana’s ability to restore normal endocannabinoid functions could be a mood stabilizer that eases depression.

In the end, it would appear that small doses of marijuana can reduce symptoms of depression in highly stressed individuals. If users regularly consume high doses, however, the opposite effect of both igniting and sustaining long-term feelings of depression can occur.