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Marijuana Use Linked to Higher Suicide Risk in Young Adults
Cause-and-effect are not clear, but the trends are stark and troubling
Cannabis has been associated with an increased risk of suicidal thoughts, planning and attempts in people ages 18 to 35. The new findings do not establish cause and effect — the scientists can’t say if smoking pot puts a person at higher risk of suicide or if other factors related to suicide risk also happen to drive marijuana use. But the research, involving surveys of 281,650 U.S. men and women, held true whether a person was depressed or not.
Percentage of people with diagnosable depression who had suicidal ideations in the past year:
35% for those who don’t use cannabis
44% for those who use cannabis but not daily
53% for those who use cannabis daily (300 days per year or more)
50% for those with a cannabis use disorder
Percentage of people without major depression who had suicidal ideations in the past year:
3% for those who don’t use cannabis
7% for those who use cannabis but not daily
9% for those who use cannabis daily (300 days per year or more)
14% for those with a cannabis use disorder
