Symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder predict cannabis misuse

Cannabis use has been linked to many psychological disorders. There is, however, a paucity of research investigating the link between cannabis use and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The present study sought to examine this link by exploring associations between severity of OCD symptoms, cannabis use, and cannabis misuse; determining whether these associations exist above and beyond symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress; and testing the mediating role of cannabis coping motives (i.e., using cannabis to cope with negative affect and other problems).

A large sample of young adult cannabis users (n=430) completed an online survey containing measures of OCD symptoms, cannabis use, cannabis misuse, and cannabis use motives.

Severity of OCD (as indexed by higher scores on the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised) was unrelated to frequency and quantity of cannabis use, but it was significantly, positively related to increased cannabis misuse. These effects persisted after controlling for anxiety, depression, and stress. The specific feature of obsessing was found to consistently predict cannabis misuse. Finally, an indirect effect of severity of OCD on cannabis misuse via coping motives was discovered.

Together, these findings indicate that there may be an association between OCD and cannabis misuse that is independent of anxiety, depression, and stress, and that is mediated by coping motives. Based on these findings, we recommend that individuals with OCD symptoms avoid using cannabis because they may be more vulnerable to the development of problematic use and cannabis use disorder.