Andrespetmonkey said:
I'm not ignoring them. I actually brought up a study earlier in the thread that did link the two (you can dig for it), but it only effected those who've smoked heavily (daily) since early teenage years until their 20s, and even then the results were inconclusive. My point here is that there are studies that refute it, and only one study I can find that shows any link whatsoever. The MJ and depression thing is kind of hard to figure out. No study says MJ causes depression, they say there's a higher proportion of MJ smokers diagnosed with depression than nonsmokers (important distinction there), so what's likely actually happened is people have other factors in their life making them depressed, making them more likely to do weed or do a lot more weed. |
The studies finding no connection aren't any more conclusive, I was merely bringing up the other side of the debate. Truth is we don't know for sure.
One of the common effects of marijuana is a loss of motivation, and motivation is one of the best cures for depression. I agree that for many people marijuana use would be a symptom rather than a cause of depression, but for others marijuana could just as likely have been an aggravating or even an instigating factor.