SynthesisPsychological medicine2025
The association between cannabis and depression: an updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Psychological medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Specificity of environmental risk factors for schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and depressive disorders - umbrella review.Psychological medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Exploring Potential Predictors and Mediators of Marijuana Use Among US Women: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach.Preventing chronic disease · 2026Article
- Comparing the Impact of Tetrahydrocannabinol on 30-Day Readmission Rates and Hospital Length of Stay in Patients With Depression.Brain and behavior · 2026Article
- Adolescent cannabis use and psychological distress from 2013 to 2023: A population-based study in Ontario, Canada.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2026Article
- Association between cannabis use and major depressive disorder: a population-based cross-sectional study.Journal of cannabis research · 2026Article
- The prevalence of cannabis use pre-versus post-cannabis legalization in Canada by mental health status: findings from national repeat cross-sectional surveys.Lancet regional health. Americas · 2026Article
- Adolescent Cannabis Use and Risk of Psychotic, Bipolar, Depressive, and Anxiety Disorders.JAMA health forum · 2026Article
- Navigating dose-effect complexities and challenges in cannabinoid therapy for aging-related neurobiological changes.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Sialic Acid in Neurodegenerative and Psychiatric Disorders: From Molecular Regulation to Targeted Nanocarrier-Based Therapy.Pharmaceutics · 2025Review
- Prevalence and factors associated with tobacco and cannabis co-use in France: Results from a national representative survey.Drug and alcohol dependence reports · 2025Article
- Gender Differences in Cannabis as a Mediator Between Distress Factors and Non-Fatal Suicidal Behaviors.International journal of mental health and addiction · 2025Article
- Associations Between Major Depressive Episodes, Sociodemographic Factors, and Past-Year Marijuana Use Among U.S. Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study.Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical AssociationReview
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs globally, although its legal status varies across regions. Public support for its decriminalization has increased, but gaps in our understanding of the health consequences of cannabis use remain, particularly related to its impact on mental health. This article provides an updated systematic review and meta-analysis (previous being Lev-Ran et al., ) looking at the relationship between cannabis and depression.
methodsLiterature available before March 2023 was screened for longitudinal studies that included cannabis use and depression. Cross-sectional studies and those only looking at special populations were excluded. Studies must have also controlled for depression at baseline to allow for investigation of a temporal relationship. Extracted data included cannabis measures, depression outcomes, adjusted odds ratios, and study settings. Meta-analysis employed a random effects model with multilevel meta-regression for effect size moderators.
resultsThe search yielded 1,599 titles from various databases, resulting in 22 studies for meta-analysis, including 14 from Lev-Ran et al. Eleven studies were US-based, with participants mostly under 18. Meta-analysis showed a higher risk of depression among cannabis users (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.13-1.46). Risk of bias assessment showed medium risk across studies with exposure measurement being a key bias area. The funnel plot and Egger's Sandwich test did not suggest publication bias.
conclusionsThis study underscores the association between cannabis use and depression but also emphasizes the need for further research, especially in understanding usage patterns, heavy use definitions, and long-term effects on depression risk amidst changing cannabis trends.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.