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Review
. 2025 Apr;23(2):133-140.
doi: 10.1176/appi.focus.20240049. Epub 2025 Apr 15.

Comorbid Cannabis Use and Mood Disorders Among Adolescents

Stephane J Strong  1 , Halle A Thomas  1 , Zachary W Adams  1 , Leslie A Hulvershorn  1
Affiliations
Review

Comorbid Cannabis Use and Mood Disorders Among Adolescents

Stephane J Strong et al. Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2025 Apr.

Abstract

Adolescence is a unique developmental period marked by increased exploration and risk-taking, as well as important brain development milestones. Many people who use substances will begin using during adolescence, and cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance among adolescents. For adolescents with mood disorders, cannabis use (and, by extension, cannabis use disorder) is even more likely, and the associated consequences are even more significant. In this review, we explore the assessment of cannabis use disorder among adolescents, the impact of cannabis use on mood symptoms, level-of-care recommendations for adolescents with comorbid cannabis use and mood disorders, and effective treatment options.

Keywords: Affective Disorders see Depressive Disorders; Cannabis; Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.

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