Disproportionate Increases in Daily Cannabis Use Among Adults with Co-Occurring Depression and Psychological...

Prevalences and frequencies of cannabis use are increasing in the United States, particularly among those with past-year major depressive episodes (MDE) or serious psychological distress (SPD). Relationships between comorbid MDE and SPD and past-year cannabis use, daily cannabis use, and cannabis use disorder (CUD) are unexplored. Here, we compare trends (2005-2019) of cannabis use among U.S. adults with monomorbid, comorbid, or neither MDE nor SPD.

We aggregated 2005 to 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data (unweighted n = 590,229). Using sociodemographic-adjusted logistic regressions, we estimated and compared the trends of past-year cannabis use, daily cannabis use, and CUD among U.S. adults with MDE, SPD, comorbid MDE and SPD, and neither MDE nor SPD. All results are nationally representative.

Individuals with MDE only, SPD only, and comorbid MDE and SPD had higher prevalences of past-year cannabis use, daily cannabis use, and CUD compared to those without MDE or SPD. Average yearly trends of past-year cannabis use increased universally but rose faster among those with MDE and/or SPD than among those without MDE or SPD. Those with comorbid MDE and SPD had the greatest increase in prevalence of daily cannabis use (327.7% from 2005 to 2019). We found no trends in CUD prevalence across all groups.

Daily cannabis use has risen most rapidly among those with comorbid MDE and SPD, a population with potentially more complex and severe mental health symptomology. Public health efforts may need to address daily cannabis use among individuals with mental health conditions to reduce disparities.