The association between cannabis and depression: an updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs globally, although its legal status varies across regions. Public support for its decriminalization has increased, but gaps in our understanding of the health consequences of cannabis use remain, particularly related to its impact on mental health. This article provides an updated systematic review and meta-analysis (previous being Lev-Ran et al., ) looking at the relationship between cannabis and depression. METHODS: Literature available before March 2023 was screened for longitudinal studies that included cannabis use and depression. Cross-sectional studies and those only looking at special populations were excluded. Studies must have also controlled for depression at baseline to allow for investigation of a temporal relationship. Extracted data included cannabis measures, depression outcomes, adjusted odds ratios, and study settings. Meta-analysis employed a random effects model with multilevel meta-regression for effect size moderators. RESULTS: The search yielded 1,599 titles from various databases, resulting in 22 studies for meta-analysis, including 14 from Lev-Ran et al. Eleven studies were US-based, with participants mostly under 18. Meta-analysis showed a higher risk of depression among cannabis users (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.13-1.46). Risk of bias assessment showed medium risk across studies with exposure measurement being a key bias area. The funnel plot and Egger's Sandwich test did not suggest publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the association between cannabis use and depression but also emphasizes the need for further research, especially in understanding usage patterns, heavy use definitions, and long-term effects on depression risk amidst changing cannabis trends.