Teens” Self-Reported Cannabis Use Tied to Increased Risk for New Psychiatric Diagnosis

FRIDAY, March 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Self-reported adolescent cannabis use is associated with an increased risk for incident psychiatric disorders, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in JAMA Health Forum.

Kelly C. Young-Wolff, Ph.D., from Kaiser Permanente Northern California in Pleasanton, and colleagues examined whether adolescent cannabis use is associated with an increased risk for developing psychiatric disorders by young adulthood. The analysis included 463,396 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years who were universally screened for cannabis use (2016 to 2023) by the health care system.

The researchers found that at baseline, 5.7 percent of adolescents self-reported past-year cannabis use, which was associated with an increased risk for incident psychotic (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.19), bipolar (aHR, 2.01), depressive (aHR, 1.34), and anxiety disorders (aHR, 1.24). With age, the strength of the associations between cannabis use and incident depressive and anxiety disorders decreased. This pattern persisted but was slightly attenuated with additional adjustment for past psychiatric conditions (psychotic disorder: aHR, 1.92; bipolar disorder: aHR, 1.73; depressive disorder: aHR, 1.33; anxiety disorder: aHR, 1.19).

“This study adds to the growing body of evidence that cannabis use during adolescence could have potentially detrimental, long-term health effects,” Young-Wolff said in a statement. “It”s imperative that parents and their children have accurate, trusted, and evidence-based information about the risks of adolescent cannabis use.”

Abstract/Full Text