Marijuana and Depression

Paper Summary:

The objective of this paper is to investigate the link between marijuana use and depression with a focus on pointing out previous research findings concerning the effect of marijuana use on depression. Further, the question of whether marijuana use causes depression is addressed and whether marijuana use tends to increase or decrease depression. It also examines instruments used by the researcher in assessing depression levels among marijuana users and addresses the question of whether medical marijuana use among chronically ill patients has been found to reduce depression.

Outline:
Objective
Introduction
Studies Show That Marijuana Users Have 'Less' Depression
Teens, Depression and Marijuana
Summary of Literature Reviewed

From the Paper:

"In a study on teens and marijuana use in relation to depression having developed after regular use of marijuana Miki Sofer, writer for the Stanford Daily reports in the article entitled: "Depression and Marijuana: Does Pot Smoking Put You at a Higher Risk for Depression, or Does the Link Work the Other Way?" states that a study which involved individuals who were inexperienced with marijuana use which was conducted by Dr. Michael T. Lynskey and colleagues in the Psychiatry Department at the Washington University Medical School in St. Louis which was a research into the "function of genetic and environmental variables and the relationship between early-onset marijuana use and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Barclay, Laurie (2002) Marijuana Use Increases Risk of Psychiatric Illness. British Medical Journal 2002; 325; 1183-1184; 1195-1198; 1199-1201, 1212-1213. Reviewed by Gary D. Vogin, MD - Howard University.
• Armetntano, Paul (2006) Study Finds no Causal Link Between Marijuana Use and Depression. 28 September 2006. Normal News. Online available at: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7059.
• Harder, Valerie S.; Morral, Andrew R.; and Arkes, Jeremy (2006) Marijuana Use nd Depression Among Adults: Testing for Causal Association. Journal of Addiction Volume 101, Number 10, October 2006.
• Marijuana (2004) National Institutes of Health - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services March 2004 Online available at: http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:PgGXPBn2ImwJ:www.drugabuse.gov/PDF/InfoFacts/Marijuana04.pdf+marijuana+use+and+depression&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=31
• Han, Young Michael (2006) Daily Trojan. Southern Cal Edu. Marijuana Policy Project. Online available at: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n183/a05.html

More papers on Marijuana and Depression:

• Research Paper # 98521 : "Marijuana and Quality of Life"
• Argumentative Essay # 127840 : "Medical Marijuana: Boon or Bane?"
• Argumentative Essay # 62299 : "Arguments Against Legalization of Marijuana"

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