Cannabis, Depression, and You

Depression is a serious psychological disorder that affects millions of Americans. I am one of those millions. Around the time I entered second grade, a psychologist diagnosed me with depression and put me on medication; Wellbutrin to be specific. Although this drug seemed to do the trick with me essentially spinning my life in a 180-degree turn, it may not work for everyone. Wellbutrin acts upon the body by increasing dopamine concentrations in the brain which in the end helps us feel “happier”. A certain person may not have the same feeling after taking this drug though, so then what do we do? Simply put, we find a different drug that works in a different way. One area of drugs that is getting a lot of attention for treatment of major depression is cannabinoids. Cannabinoids, specifically tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol, are key components to the well-known drug marijuana. These two molecules act upon the endocannabinoid system in our body which is a key regulator in mood function such as anxiety and depression
In the article “Endocannabinoid system and psychiatry: in search of a neurobiological basis for detrimental and potential therapeutic effects” the researchers were looking at this exact topic. After reading through the article, I can communicate some of the main ideas. First, when the endocannabinoid system was activated through cannabis use, subjects were more likely to feel happy and less stressed. This is hardly news to us though as we are all familiar through the media’s interpretation of marijuana as making us laugh and lose all the cares in the world; don’t worry, be happy. Although this is a good thing, other research has shown that with chronic cannabis usage, the rate of depression and anxiety increases. So at this point, there really isn’t an end all answer to this question. Second, as with every drug, there are side effects. With cannabis use, the main side effect (and a nasty one at that) is that if you using cannabis to treat your disorders, you also put yourself at risk of developing schizophrenia with continued use. This side effect has a very small chance of occurring though, and is really only a problem with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia. With this side effect, I personally believe that cannabis in the form of marijuana should not be used to cure mood disorders, but if a patient is well aware of the risks and still wants to use it, they should be able to. Personally, I see more potential in researching the two components of cannabis (THC and cannabidiol) more to see if they can help without having to “light one up”.
As stated above, cannabis and the endocannabinoid system have a seemingly promising future in curing these mood disorders we all have come to know. There are still a few kinks to work out, and a lot more research to be done, but if the research proves to be useful, this could be a very promising drug to look at for some people with depression.
For anyone who would like more information on this topic, feel free to visit http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana to learn more about medical marijuana.