SAFE GC Coalition: Cannabis Use Disorder and Psychiatric Illness

The NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) recently released an overview of Cannabis, synthetic cannabinoids and its effects on mental health to raise awareness in the aftermath of the legalization of marijuana as the landscape of attitudes, legal status and patterns if use is rapidly changing.

OASAS provides a narrative overview of the literature on the comorbidity of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) with other substance use and psychiatric disorders, and has used this information to accurately guide future directions for the field. The literature review focused on national-level, population-based work from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) and National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) surveys. Considering rapidly changing cannabis laws, recent (past five-year) studies were addressed.

A strong body of literature shows associations between cannabis use and CUD with other drug use, psychosis, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders. The strongest evidence of a potential causal relationship exists between cannabis use and psychotic disorders.

While some evidence shows potential directionality between cannabis use and mood and anxiety disorders, results are inconsistent. Studies have established higher rates of CUD among those with personality disorders, but little about the specifics of this relationship is understood.

Although the general population in the United States increasingly perceives cannabis to be a harmless substance, empirical evidence shows that cannabis use is associated both with CUD and comorbid psychiatric illness. However, there is mixed evidence regarding the role of cannabis in the etiology, course, and prognosis of a co-occurring disorder across all categories of psychiatric disorders. Future research should expand on the existing body of literature with representative, longitudinal data, in order to better understand the acute and long-term effects of cannabis on comorbid psychiatric illness.

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) is a State agency whose mission is to improve the lives of all New Yorkers by leading a comprehensive premier system of addiction services for prevention, treatment, and recovery. For more information about OASAS please visit https://www.ny.gov/agencies/office-addiction-services-and-supports.

The SAFE Glen Cove Coalition is concerned about marijuana use and its consequences on the health and development of youth. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow us on www.facebook.com/safeglencovecoalition or visit SAFE’s website to learn more about marijuana use at www.safeglencove.org.