Cannabis and mental health

Objective: This webinar will provide an overview of mental health risks associated with cannabis use. Participants will hear about the findings on how cannabis use is linked to anxiety, depression, psychotic symptoms and cannabis use disorder, and how cannabis type, potency, and use patterns might increase the risks. The session will cover recent evidence from European and international research, supporting a better understanding of cannabis-related mental health harms and implications for prevention and care.

Background: Cannabis remains the most widely used illicit substance in Europe. As patterns of use continue to evolve, there is an ongoing need for clear, evidence-informed discussions on the association between cannabis use and mental health risks, and how an improved understanding of it can inform health and social responses across Europe.

In conversation with: 

• Tom Freeman, Director of the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath, United Kingdom;
• Carsten Hjorthøj, Associate Professor at the Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen and research leader at Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health Section of Epidemiology;
• Nora de Bode, PhD Candidate at the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Chairperson: Erikas Simonavičius.

Support team: Marica Ferri, Inês Hasselberg, Anna Ferrara, Marco Costa (EUDA).

Format: Opening remarks, speaker presentations, panellists’ questions, audience Q&A and closing remarks.

Length: 1.5 hours.

Participants: Open to all registered attendees (a joining link will be provided upon registration). 

Webinar etiquette: We welcome participants using the chat during the webinar but kindly ask them to refrain from using it for airing grievances, promoting events/commercial initiatives or misusing contact details. Please engage with courtesy and respect. Violation of these guidelines may result in exclusion from the chat by the administrator. Thank you for your cooperation in making this webinar a positive and focused learning experience for all.

Date: 23 September 2026 | 12:00–13:30 Lisbon time (WEST) — 13:00–14:30 (CEST).

Platform: Zoom