Psychological distress increased markedly among adolescents in Ontario, Canada, from 2013 to 2023. In that setting, adolescent cannabis use was statistically significantly associated with psychological distress, especially among females, and this association increased in magnitude over time, especially for those using most frequently. It is possible that adolescents are increasingly self-medicating psychological distress with cannabis and/or that rising cannabis potency is increasingly contributing to psychological distress. While causality cannot be established, based on the precautionary principle, policymakers should prioritize cannabis prevention strategies that aim to reduce frequency of use, limit potency and delay age of initiation, particularly among females.
McDonald et al. (Wed,) studied this question.