Mj and depression

[Frederick McGuire]

Hi everyone,

I'm interested in looking into how mj can effect people with a potential pre-disposition to depression, and I really have no idea where to start...

Does anyone know of either
1 - a good website(s) with unbiased studies on mj
2 - any good studies relating to mj and depression.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

IMO if the condition is serious MJ should be avoided..
1. Raises brain activity
2. Paranoia
3. No weed = depression
4. Panic attacks
5.Increase of hunger (depression in some people makes that too,so you will get twice as unsatisfied )
If the case is light to mild it can help a lot.
1.Many people i know thinking of MJ as a safeguard/home place
2.They are generally more happy after MJ use cause it makes them relax
3. Greatest way to fight a depression is to party .. and this possibly the best party dope ever.
4.Makes you more social, which relieves depression a lot..

 

[hereatlast]

Considering this is a medical inquiry I think it may be best to stick to facts that can substantiated Abysmal Vapor. This one in particular worries me as medical advice:

3. Greatest way to fight a depression is to party

Not to mention the OP asked for resources.

Fred: if no one beats me to the punch I'll post up a few things tonight. Hope all is well.



EDIT: got a couple minutes now. I've provided a few links below.

Cannabinoids promote hippocampus neurogenesis and produce anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects (full - 2005) http://www.jci.org/cgi/content/full/115/11/3104

Antidepressant-like activity by blockade of anandamide hydrolysis (full - 2005)
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=16352709

Cannabis' Acts as Antidepressant (news - 2005)
http://www.thehempire.com/index.php/cannabis/news/cannabis_acts_as_antidepressant

Cannabis And Depression Research (news - 2005)
http://www.thehempire.com/index.php/cannabis/news/cannabis_and_depression_research

Marijuana use and depression among adults: Testing for causal associations.
(abst - 2006)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/e...ez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Antidepressant-like effect of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and other cannabinoids isolated from Cannabis sativa L. (full 2010)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866040/?tool=pubmed

Hope those are helpful starting point (let me know if you read through all those! ). I can probably gather some more selections later if desired.

 

[george]

I think MJ may be helpful to some degree in certain cases of depression but, in my experience there are healthier, safer ways of helping depression and self confidence. Giving up processed foods, junk foods, soda, and sugar and flours has made me feel a lot better and i've noticed significant changes in myself by eating more raw fruits and vegetables. Work on overall health and your mental health will improve in conjunction with your physical health.

 

[Frederick McGuire]

I should clarify, I'm primarily interested in as to wether mj has any/many major negative effects regarding depression.
Not so much using mj as a treatment for depression, but if mj has any aggravation effects on someone with a family history of depression.

I recently found out that there is depression in my family (depression with my dad, and manic-depression with my grandmother), and I am basically looking to educate myself as to whether mj could be doing me any harm in the long run.

Thanks hereatlast, I'll have a look through those links in the next few days when I've got some more free time.

I am planning on speaking with my family doctor soon about this, and I basically just wanted to educate myself a bit first.

 

[Nycdeisel]

Have you ever had depression? do you use cannabis at the moment? just trying to get a better picture of your situation.

and just to keep in mind, many doctors are not informed about cannabis, so unless you are prepared to inform them(though you havent yet found the information you are looking for yourself), you might want to prepare for an interesting discussion.

I think regarding negative affects, first of all everyone is affected different by cannabis. I guess reactions to depression can vary somehwat as well, but no where near as much as peoples reactions to using cannabis will differ, not to mention the method of intake and strains, etc. Its true that cannabis has been shown to help treat depression, as some of the links provided already will tell you, so its hard to say if it does or will have negative effects.

 

[canadianlive]

Hello Fred, Abysmal Vapor said this in post #2 "3. No weed = depression"

From what I read above I assume that you are concerned about MJ and depression link and you don't have depression .

I have depression since I was a kid. I used all things conventional medicine has to offer with no benefits. I started using marijuana regularly for over a month now. I feel considerably less depressed with MJ. Problem is if I don't vape continuously all day in regular intervals, effects wear off and depression intensifies very visibly.

This is my personal account and I believe in personal accounts than many corrupt(I feel so) MJ studies out there, thanks to internet I now have access to 1000's of such opinions. MJ works differently on some people and that might be negative.

You will never know how MJ will work on your depression unless you have depression and you try MJ. I heard both good and bad things but MJ is a God send for me personally. Less misery = More life! have fun and enjoy your life.

 

[Minging]

Some good reading in there , many thanks.

 

[THCMuscle]

I think MJ may be helpful to some degree in certain cases of depression but, in my experience there are healthier, safer ways of helping depression and self confidence. Giving up processed foods, junk foods, soda, and sugar and flours has made me feel a lot better and i've noticed significant changes in myself by eating more raw fruits and vegetables. Work on overall health and your mental health will improve in conjunction with your physical health.

Absolutely! MJ should compliment a healthy lifestyle. And, of course, Lifestyle will always have a larger effect.

 

[DaProfessor]

I battled mild depression for a couple years. Cannabis helped, but only in the sense of mood improvement. It did not bring about any permanent changes. I was very open about my cannabis use with my psychologist and she was very open to working within that framework. After some trial and error, making physical fitness a big part of my life is what eventually allowed me to break free from the hold of depression.

Bottom line, talk to a health professional & start living a healthier lifestyle. Take it one day at a time and add something small every day. My favorite analogy is that of a novel; each page is deceivingly thin, yet when added together over time, an epic can emerge. Get on it and get healthy The healthier you are, the more you can enjoy the benefits of MJ...

 

[Bouldorado]

Look up Granny's list. it's on grasscity and possibly this forum. she compiled hundreds of studies about the health benefits of MJ; I'm sure depression is covered more than once.

 

[Nycdeisel]

Indeed it is, there is a nice long list under Depression on grannys list. I am talking about Granny Storm Crow of course