Bradford, A. C., Lozano-Rojas, F., Shone, H. B., Bradford, W. D., & Abraham, A. J. (2024). Cannabis Laws and Utilization of Medications for the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders. JAMA network open, 7(9), e2432021. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.32021.
Rationale: Cannabis is an increasingly popular choice among those with mental health concerns. Benefits of cannabis for mental health are controversial, and have yet to be demonstrated.
Method: Researchers analyzed healthcare records from about 10 million 18-64 year olds across the U.S. between 2007 and 2020. They looked at mental health prescription drug use before and after changes in cannabis legislation and asked how changes in cannabis access affected prescriptions for mental illnesses.
Results: Access to cannabis was associated with reductions in prescriptions for benzodiazepines but increases in prescriptions for antidepressants.
Meaning: This study showed changes in prescriptions for antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication with rising cannabis access. Because correlation does not indicate causation, more research is needed to determine whether cannabis has medicinal benefits for psychological disorders or leads to worse outcomes.