Depression and Marijuana: What to Know

People have used cannabis as medicine for thousands of years, but modern trials back only a handful of uses, chemotherapy nausea among them, with modest evidence for chronic pain. But does marijuana help depression? Research so far does not show that it does, and this guide explains what is known about the connections between medical marijuana and depression.

Can Marijuana Help with Depression?

Marijuana is often talked about for mental health, and some people say it lifts their mood or eases stress, but personal reports are not the same as trial results. Here is what the studies found.

Whether marijuana helps diagnosed depression is not established. A 2019 review of 83 studies, 42 of them on depression, found scarce evidence of benefit, and pharmaceutical THC eased anxiety only slightly, in people with other illnesses.

Chronic pain and depression often go together, NIMH notes. For pain, NIH describes a small benefit, but that is a pain finding, not a depression one. 

Whether easing pain with cannabis also lifts depression has not been tested in well-controlled trials we could find, and the 2019 review found no clear effect of cannabinoids on depressive symptoms.

Results also vary from person to person. Whether or not depression is linked to pain or another illness, medical marijuana is not a proven depression treatment. Cannabis use is associated with depression and thoughts of suicide, CDC reports, so talk with a mental health professional first.

The Connection Between Pain and Depression

Pain is one of the key factors to take into account with marijuana and depression, because studies of patients have found that those who struggle with chronic pain problems, including everything from multiple sclerosis to back pain, tend to also struggle with depression.

Constant pain wears people down, and that strain can make low mood harder to shift. It can make it hard for them to enjoy life or pursue the things that make them happy, and this can make their depression even worse over time. That link is real, but it does not show that cannabis treats depression; treating both the pain and the depression with your care team comes first.

Medical Marijuana and Depression: What Research Says

If you have a marijuana card, you can buy medical marijuana under your state’s rules. Here is what research says about the reasons people with depression give for using it:

• Pain Management: Pain and depression are linked. Cannabinoids gave a small pain benefit in reviews, but we found no trial showing that this relieves depression.
• Stress and Anxiety: NIH calls the evidence that cannabinoids reduce anxiety small, and cannabis use can cause anxiety and paranoia, CDC says. Neither finding shows cannabis eases depression.
• Easing Nausea: For chemotherapy nausea, NIH notes that the FDA has approved the cannabinoid drugs dronabinol and nabilone. Marijuana for nausea in other settings is less studied.

Marijuana Strains for Depression: What Is Known

We found no trial that tested a strain for depression, and a 2022 analysis of commercial cannabis in six U.S. states found strain labels often do not match a product’s chemistry. Strain names people often ask about include:

• Jack Herer 
• Purple OG 
• Cinex 
• Blue Dream 
• Cannatonic 
• Cookies and Cream

Safety Points on Marijuana and Depression

If you have depression and are thinking about marijuana, keep these safety points in mind:

• Know that cannabis can cause anxiety and paranoia, CDC warns. 
• Speak with your mental healthcare provider for advice and guidance. 
• Ask your prescriber before combining cannabis with antidepressants or other medicines.
• If your mood worsens or you have thoughts of suicide, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, as NIMH advises. 
• Keep track of how cannabis affects your mood and sleep, and share it with your provider. 
• Avoid drinking alcohol while consuming cannabis. 
• Treat claims that terpenes ease depression with caution; we found no clinical trials supporting them.

So, does marijuana help depression? The evidence does not show that it does, and people’s experiences vary widely. Personal reports vary, and a 2019 review of 83 studies found scarce evidence that cannabis treats depression, so treatments with evidence, such as talk therapy and antidepressant medicines, should come first. Contact us to find out more.