Health: Cannabis users are more likely to think about and attempt suicide even ...

Users of cannabis are more likely to think about, plan and attempt suicide even without a history of depression, a study has found — and woman are at more risk.

Researchers from the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) studied data on the mental health and drug habits of more than 281,000 young adults.

The team found incidences of suicidal thought or attempts increased with cannabis usage — with depressed women at 50 per cent more risk than their male peers. 

Cannabis consumption is on the rise. In the US, for example, adult users have more than doubled in number from 22.6 million in 2008 to 45 million in 2019.

Over the same period, the number of adults with depression or having reported incidences of suicidal thoughts, planning or attempts has also increased.

However, the exact nature of the relationship between cannabis use and suicidal thoughts remains unclear.

'While we cannot establish that cannabis use caused the increased suicidality we observed in this study, these associations warrant further research,' said paper author and psychiatrist Nora Volkow of NIDA.

This is especially important to do, she added, 'given the great burden of suicide on young adults.'

'As we better understand the relationship between cannabis use, depression and suicidality, clinicians will be able to provide better guidance and care to patients.'

In their study, Dr Volkow and colleagues analysed data on 281,650 young adults aged from 18–35 — the period during which most mood disorders and substance abuse problems emerge.

This data had been collected by the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration from 2008–2019 as part of their National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, and features information on cannabis use and behavioural health.

Alongside looking for associations between these factors, the team also explored whether such varied by gender — with the subjects

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