Why Heavy Daily Marijuana Use Linked To More Suicidal Thoughts

For the most part, marijuana makes users feel, well, good. The drug elicits feelings of euphoria, can help numb pain, and may control nausea. However, a new study has suggested a potential risk: frequent and heavy marijuana use is linked to more suicidal thoughts.

The study, now published online in Psychiatry Research, found that among marijuana users, though who are heavy daily users report having more suicidal thoughts than less frequent users,Broadly reported. In addition, daily users reported they felt more alienated and like they were a burden to others than lighter users.

Before you get too worried about this potential side effect of marijuana use, there were limitations to the study. For example, the researchers don't know for sure whether these heavy users were self-medicating depression with marijuana, or if the marijuana use caused their depression. In addition, over 76 percent of the volunteers involved in the study were women, who are twice as likely to be depressed as men, and are also more likely to have suicidal thoughts, Bloomberg reported (although, overall, men follow through on the act more than women).

The team plan to further explore this link between heavy marijuana use and suicidal thoughts; they hope to understand whether one causes the other, and if so, what can be done to prevent this.

According to Medical News Today, suicidal thoughts are also known as suicidal ideation. These can range from having a thought-out plan to just having the idea cross your mind. Although the majority of people who have suicidal thoughts do not try to kill themselves, it is still a serious situation, and individuals having these thoughts should seek help.

A family history of mental health conditions may also increase the likeliness of having suicidal thoughts.

Source: Buckner JD, Lemke AW, Walukevich KA. Cannabis use and suicidal ideation: Test of the utility of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide. Psychiatry Research. 2017