Adolescent Cannabis Use and Risk of Psychotic, Bipolar, Depressive, and Anxiety Disorders

Source:

Young-Wolff, K. C., Cortez, C. A., Alexeeff, S. E., Silver, L. D., Pacula, R. L., Slama, N. E., ... & Sterling, S. A. (2026, February). Adolescent Cannabis Use and Risk of Psychotic, Bipolar, Depressive, and Anxiety Disorders. In JAMA Health Forum (Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. e256839-e256839). American Medical Association.

Key Points

Question  Is adolescent cannabis use associated with an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders by young adulthood?

Findings  In this cohort study of 463 396 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years who were universally screened for cannabis use, past-year cannabis use was associated with a significantly increased risk of incident psychotic, bipolar, depressive, and anxiety disorders by age 26 years.

Meaning  This study found that adolescent cannabis use is associated with increased risk of psychiatric disorders in adolescence and young adulthood, highlighting the importance of early prevention efforts, effective public health messaging, and policy development to limit youth exposure as cannabis legalization expands.