The EVOLUTION Magazine NOVEMBER 2025 | Page 19

The implications they draw are clear— cannabis causes depression. But as the old adage goes, correlation doesn’ t equal causation. On this point, there is at least one honest outlier— The Mayo Clinic:“ Some research suggests that marijuana smokers are diagnosed with depression more often than nonsmokers are— particularly regular or heavy marijuana users. However, it doesn’ t appear that marijuana directly causes depression.” 5

There indeed is a correlation between depression and cannabis use, and that correlation is self-evident. It’ s called“ self-medicating.” Depressed people routinely self-medicate, and historically, they’ ve turned far more often to alcohol than any other drug, including cannabis. Yet no medical professional asserts that alcohol causes depression( though alcohol abuse and alcoholism can certainly exacerbate depression). 6 Why is self-medicating so common among depression sufferers? Quite often, it’ s not because they haven’ t first sought professional treatment, but because they did and the results were anything but successful.

One of the most common ways Americans de-stress after a hard day’ s work is to hit the bar. Tossing back a few shots of tequila may brighten one’ s disposition, at least temporarily. However, it comes at the expense of interfering with the brain’ s ability to produce serotonin( the same goes for caffeine). Worse yet, alcohol depletes serotonin. Having a few tokes or consuming an edible calms the racing brain without depleting or interfering with serotonin production. In every respect, cannabis is far safer and healthier than alcohol.

Selecting the right strain of cannabis is important. THC is“ biphasic,” meaning that moderate consumption relieves depression, but large daily dosing can exacerbate it. Cultivars high in THC( greater than 20 %) come at the expense of CBD and other cannabinoids. Avoid them as they can induce anxiety and even paranoia. Secondary co-factors for depression should be taken into account. For example, those suffering from depression with accompanying apathy may find Sativa strains high in the terpene limonene beneficial since they tend to be elevating. Those suffering from depression with accompanying anxiety may find Indicas high in the terpene linalool preferable since they tend to be relaxing and a beneficial sleep aid. There’ s also a myriad of“ hybrids” available that may include some of the best of both.

Peter Kershaw is a medical cannabis consultant. Contact him at pkershaw. email @ gmail. com As with all writers within these pages, if you’ ve benefited from Peter’ s articles, please let him and all writers know. They appreciate your thoughts.

Notice: The information contained herein is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, but rather a sharing of knowledge and information based on research, experience and the opinion of the writer. The content is for general informational purposes only. As always, check with your doctor first.

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