Can I use medical cannabis to treat depression?
Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in the U.S. According to the National Institute for Mental Health, an estimated 19.4 million adults (7.8% of the adult population) in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. Millions more suffer from chronic and low-grade depression, making it a common complaint among those seeking help from medical cannabis (aka medical marijuana). While the use of cannabis to treat depression and anxiety has long been controversial — with some claiming that regular use can make symptoms worse — researchers are increasingly finding that medical cannabis has a role to play in alleviating depression.
Erin L. Martin, a PhD candidate at the Medical University of South Carolina and the lead in a recent study, told PsyPost, “We conducted this study to determine if people that used medicinal cannabis products to treat symptoms of anxiety and depression reported improvement in these symptoms, as well as in other important areas like sleep and quality of life, relative to people that did not use medicinal cannabis.”
The results of the study were quite clear. Not only did cannabis users report lower levels of depression at baseline, study participants who were not cannabis users but started using during the follow-up period also reported a reduction in depression and anxiety.
“Medicinal cannabis products, especially products high in CBD, may help to treat symptoms of depression, improve sleep, and increase quality of life,” Martin told PsyPost. “There is also some evidence that medicinal cannabis may alleviate symptoms of anxiety, particularly if administered over an extended period of time, but this is less clear from our results and warrants further study.”
The verdict on medical cannabis for depression
While there may still be naysayers out there, the evidence for treating depression with medical cannabis continues to mount. Not only has it been correlated with lower instances of depression, but the same study showed that it improved other quality of life measures, such as sleep.
But always remember, cannabis is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Different strains have different effects. It’s important to work with an experienced budtender to find the right strains to produce the results you’re looking for. Some trial and error may be needed to find the right product for you, so be persistent.
Recommended cannabis strains for depression patients
We always recommend asking the professionals at your local dispensary for advice on which strains and products may help you specifically, but here are some of the Cann Cure Cultivation strains depression patients may want to consider:
Big Smooth (Indica-dominant hybrid)
Crown Royal (Indica-dominant hybrid)
Dirty Mac (50/50 Indica/Sativa)
Florida Cake (Indica-dominant hybrid)
Gorilla Glue (slightly Indica-dominant hybrid)
Incredible Hulk (Sativa-dominant strain)
London Poundcake (Indica-dominant hybrid)
Mandarin Cookies (Sativa-dominant hybrid)
Pineapple Express (60/40 Sativa/Indica)
Purple Chem Dog (Indica-dominant hybrid)
Sour Apple (Indica-dominant hybrid)
Thank You Jerry (Indica-dominant hybrid)
