As a result of the examine is observational, it might’t say through which course this affiliation runs — if depressed individuals are extra more likely to flip to pot, or if marijuana use fuels melancholy.
“I feel it is most likely each of this stuff on the identical time,” Aoun mentioned. “Marijuana could possibly be inflicting depressive signs. Additionally, people who find themselves depressed who’re searching for therapy are searching for out choices to assist scale back the affect or burden of their depressive signs. When conventional therapy choices are inadequate, they’re turning to marijuana.”
THC, the chemical in pot that causes intoxication, has been proven to extend ranges of dopamine within the mind, Wetter mentioned. Dopamine is a “really feel good” neurotransmitter that immediately stimulates the pleasure facilities within the mind.
That may make a depressed individual really feel higher quickly, nevertheless it’s actually masking emotions that may return, Aoun mentioned.
“Medicine do not introduce new emotions that you do not have in you,” Aoun mentioned. “They simply enable for disinhibition. In the event you’re depressed and also you smoke marijuana, it isn’t going to treatment your melancholy.”
What’s extra, these dopamine rushes alter your mind chemistry in methods that may exacerbate your melancholy.
“It requires extra use in an effort to really feel good,” Wetter mentioned. “When you do not have that, you’ll begin to really feel the signs of extra elevated melancholy. You expertise the crash, if you’ll.”
Eleven states have adopted legal guidelines allowing leisure marijuana use, however Aoun mentioned he is extra involved concerning the 34 states which have handed legal guidelines permitting medical marijuana.
“When states are pushing for the legalization of medical marijuana with out credible proof, you are sending so many mistaken messages,” Aoun mentioned.
Not sufficient medical analysis has been finished to firmly set up marijuana’s well being advantages, however legalization has nonetheless made pot right into a seemingly legit various for people combating a temper dysfunction, Aoun mentioned.
He in contrast pot to insulin, a therapy for diabetes examined in large-scale analysis research earlier than it turned out there to sufferers.
“With marijuana, it has been a very totally different story the place these selections are actually pushed primarily by corporations with a big monetary curiosity in selling marijuana use,” Aoun mentioned.
