Association between Non-Medical Cannabis Use and Anxiety Disorders in Women

Abstract

Introduction: Non-medical cannabis use and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent among Canadian women; however, the direction of this assocation remains controversial. The objective of this article is to provide an evidencebased update regarding the effect of non-medical cannabis on anxiety symptoms in women. Methods: A literature search was conducted using PsychINFO and MEDLINE for articles related to cannabis and marijuana use among women with anxiety or anxiety disorders. Only English language literature from 2010 to 2020 was reviewed. Studies including patients under the age of 18 and studies addressing medical cannabis were excluded. Four studies met our inclusion criteria for this review. Results: Cannabis use and anxiety disorders are both highly prevalent among young women. Other substance use in addition to cannabis is frequently reported by women. Reasons for cannabis use by women with anxiety differed from those of men. Findings did not show a direct association between cannabis use and anxiety symptoms. Women who used cannabis did not report higher rates of anxiety nor did anxiety predict the onset of cannabis use. Conclusion: There is no evidence to indicate that non-medical cannabis use worsens anxiety symptoms among women. Further studies should focus on reducing potential confounding factors and developing a reliable method of quantifying cannabis use in order to determine the direction of the interaction between cannabis and anxiety disorders among women.