Marijuana Users May Attempt to Manage Negative Moods With Drug

Not all marijuana users will have the same effects when using the drug.

A new study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs shows that when adolescents and young adults smoke marijuana frequently as a coping technique for problems, many find that it's difficult to wean themselves off of the drug.

"One of the challenges is that people often may use marijuana to feel better but may feel worse afterward," lead study author  Lydia A. Shrier, M.D., M.P.H., of the division of adolescent and young adult medicine at Boston Children's Hospital, in a news release.  "Marijuana use can be associated with anxiety and other negative states. People feel bad, they use, and they might momentarily feel better, but then they feel worse. They don't necessarily link feeling bad after using with the use itself, so it can become a vicious circle."

For the study, Shrier and colleagues recruited 40 people between the ages of 15 and 24 who used marijuana twice weekly at an average rate of 9.7 times per week. They were trained to use a handheld computer that signaled them at random times within three-hour intervals (four to six times per day) for two weeks. During each signal, participants were asked about their mood, companionship, perceived ability of marijuana and recent drunk use. They were also asked to report just after any marijuana use, making a total of more than 3,600 reports.

Findings revealed that negative effects were significantly increased during the 24 hours before marijuana use compared with other periods. However, positive effects did not vary in the period before marijuana use compared with other times.

"There are a host of limitations with retrospective assessments, such as asking people 'the last time you used marijuana, why did you use it?'" according to Shrier. "We weren't asking people to predict anything or to recall anything-we were just asking them to give us reports about how they were feeling right now. We were able to put under a microscope the association between those feelings and subsequent marijuana use."