22% of high school students use marijuana 2:21
(CNN) -
Heavy marijuana use by teens and young adults with mood disorders - such as depression and bipolar disorder - is linked to an increased risk of self-harm, suicide attempts and death, a new study found.
Unintentional overdoses, suicide and homicide were the three most common causes of death, according to the study published Tuesday in
JAMA Pediatrics
.
“The perception is that it is safe to use marijuana.
However, we must educate parents and children about the risks that exist, particularly with heavy, high-potency cannabis use, ”said study author Cynthia Fontanella, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. at the Ohio State University School of Medicine.
"And clinicians must intervene to identify and treat cannabis use disorder as well as children with mood disorders," Fontanella said.
Marijuana use disorder
Cannabis use disorder, also known as marijuana use disorder, is associated with dependence on marijuana use.
A person is considered to be dependent on marijuana when they experience food cravings or poor appetite, irritability, restlessness, and mood and sleep problems after stopping use, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA, for its acronym in English).
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"People who start using marijuana before the age of 18 are four to seven times more likely to develop a marijuana use disorder than adults," warns NIDA.
About 4 million people in the United States met the criteria for this diagnosis in 2015, estimates the NIDA.
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Experts say the number will have grown due to the increased potency in currently existing marijuana strains, along with the legalization of recreational marijuana for adults in 15 states and the legalization of medical use in 36 states.
What do adult studies say?
Studies in adults show a strong association between excessive use of marijuana and suicide attempts and death.
A study of adult same-sex twins found that those who were dependent on marijuana were nearly three times more likely to attempt suicide than their siblings who were not dependent on cannabis.
Another study that looked at 1,463 suicides and 7,392 natural deaths in the United States found a link between adult marijuana use and suicide risk after adjusting for alcohol use, depression, and use of mental health services.
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Furthermore, a four-year investigation of 6,445 Danish adults found an increased risk of suicide among men and women who relied on marijuana.
First study in children
The new study used information from Ohio's Medicare.
There he identified both cannabis use disorder and self-harm attempts and outcomes in young people between the ages of 10 and 24.
The study was only able to show an association between cannabis dependence and negative outcomes, not direct cause and effect.
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Previous studies show that children with mood disorders are very likely to use and abuse marijuana, Fontanella said.
This happens, in part, because they don't like the side effects of many of the prescription drugs.
“Mood stabilizers and antipsychotic drugs can cause weight gain, say up to about 14 or 18 kg (…).
(Also) stiff neck or eyes (…) and they can cause sedation, ”Fontanella said.
"So they may not take their medications and self-medicate with cannabis to treat mood disorders."
The pending questions
However, it could also be that marijuana use contributes to the development of mood disorders.
"Research shows that cannabis use is associated with the early onset of mood disorders, psychosis, and anxiety disorders, so it can lead to serious mental illness," Fontanella said.
However, at this point science is not sure which comes first.
This happens in part because there are few or no studies done in adolescents and young adults.
'Research suggests that exposure to marijuana impacts the brain's ability to process emotions.
Could this interact in a detrimental way with the developing brain? ”Wondered Dr. Lucien Gonzalez, who chairs the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on substance use and prevention.
Gonzalez was not involved in the study.
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"It doesn't prove that cannabis use causes depression or self-harm, but it also doesn't definitively disprove it," Gonzalez said.
The Dr. serves as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine.
"It seems that complicated associations are found and we still do not fully understand them," Gonzalez said.
As science searches for the answers, "family-based models and individual approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy" have been effective in treating youth with marijuana use disorder, Fontanella and her team said.
They also called for the launch of a national study to further examine the mortality risks among youth and young adults struggling with excessive marijuana use.
