Higher Anxiety Disorder Risk Linked to Cannabis Use

Study Links Cannabis Use to Increased Anxiety Disorder Risk

According to a recent comprehensive research, a significant correlation exists between emergency department visits due to cannabis use and the development of new anxiety disorders. Analyzing health data from over 12 million residents of Ontario, the study found a nearly fourfold increase in the risk of being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder within three years for individuals who sought emergency care due to cannabis use. The study also highlighted the potential for cannabis use to exacerbate existing anxiety symptoms, debunking the perception of cannabis as a harmless substance.

Key Findings:

• Individuals requiring emergency care for cannabis use showed a 3.9-fold increased risk of developing new anxiety disorders compared to the general population.
• A 3.7-fold increased risk of severe or worsening anxiety disorders was found following cannabis-related emergency department visits.
• The research suggested a potential causal relationship between cannabis use and increased anxiety, cautioning against its use as an anxiety treatment.

27% of individuals who made an emergency department visit for cannabis use developed a new anxiety disorder within three years, according to this research, led by the Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa Department of Family Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, and ICES.

This comprehensive study, published in the Lancet’s open-access journal eClinical Medicine, included over 12 million individuals living in Ontario, Canada, between 2008 and 2019 who had never received a diagnosis or treatment for anxiety, making it the largest study of its kind to date.

The research team used health record data from ICES to compare the risk of developing an anxiety disorder among those who had emergency department visits for cannabis use to the general population. “Our results suggest that those requiring emergency treatment for cannabis use are at a significantly increased risk of developing new anxiety disorders and experiencing worsening symptoms of existing anxiety disorders,” says lead author Dr. Daniel Myran, a research chair at the University of Ottawa.

Key findings of the study include a 3.9-fold increased risk of a new anxiety disorder among those who had an ED visit for cannabis use, 12.3% of whom had a hospitalization or an emergency department visit for an anxiety disorder within three years.

There is ongoing debate about whether cannabis use causes individuals to develop anxiety disorders or if part of the relationship between cannabis use and anxiety reflects individuals self-medicating anxiety symptoms with cannabis. This current study finds that cannabis use may worsen anxiety and is the largest to date examining this question. The authors caution against using cannabis to treat symptoms of anxiety given the lack of evidence for its effect, that its use may delay other evidence-based treatments, and the potential risk that it may significantly worsen anxiety symptoms.

“Cannabis use has rapidly increased in Canada over the past 15 years, and there is a general sense that cannabis is relatively harmless or has health benefits. Our study warns that in some individuals, heavy cannabis use may increase their risk of developing anxiety disorders,” says Dr. Myran.

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