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Updated: Mar 10, 2026
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Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
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Cannabis and Mental Health: A Review
Devan Kansagara1,2, Garth E Terry3,4, Chelsea K Ayers1
1Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC), VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon.
JAMA Internal Medicine
|March 9, 2026
Summary
Cannabis offers no clear mental health benefits and carries significant risks. Clinicians should discuss these adverse effects, including potential worsening of conditions and cannabis use disorder, with patients.
Area of Science:
- Mental Health Research
- Cannabis Studies
- Clinical Psychiatry
Background:
- Cannabis use is prevalent among individuals with mental health conditions.
- Many report using cannabis to self-manage mental health symptoms.
- Understanding cannabis's impact on mental health is crucial for clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current evidence on the efficacy and risks of cannabis for mental health conditions.
- To inform clinicians about the limited benefits and potential harms associated with cannabis use in psychiatric populations.
- To highlight the importance of patient counseling regarding cannabis use and mental health.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of existing literature on cannabis and mental health.
- Analysis of evidence regarding specific mental health conditions such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.
- Evaluation of risks including adverse mental health effects and cannabis use disorder (CUD).
Main Results:
- Low-certainty evidence suggests THC-predominant cannabis does not improve PTSD symptoms.
- Insufficient evidence exists for long-term effects of THC-predominant cannabis on anxiety, depression, and ADHD.
- Emerging evidence indicates cannabidiol may reduce anxiety, but THC-predominant cannabis poses risks like worsening mania and psychosis.
- Approximately 30% of past-year cannabis users develop CUD, with significant negative outcomes in half of those cases.
- Adolescent and young adult regular use of high-THC products is linked to increased psychosis risk, CUD, and self-harm.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence does not support cannabis as a treatment for mental health conditions due to insufficient efficacy and substantial risks.
- Clinicians must counsel patients about the potential adverse mental health effects of cannabis.
- Cannabis use is a significant modifiable risk factor that warrants discussion in managing mental health conditions.
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