Vaping cannabis linked to teen depression and anxiety

In a study that analysed vaping habits of nearly 70,000 teens, PhD candidate Jack Chung from UQ’s National Centre For Youth Substance Use Research said nearly 50 per cent of teens who vaped cannabis had experienced depressive symptoms, compared to only 24.8 per cent of those who had not vaped.

“We examined US data that detailed the mental health impacts on 11–18 year-olds who vaped two types of cannabis compounds – tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which causes a ‘high’ effect, and cannabidiol (CBD), which is more commonly used for medicinal purposes and doesn’t produce the ‘high’,” Mr Chung said.

“There is currently limited research that differentiates between the two compounds and their association with mental health in teens.

“We found adolescents who mainly vaped THC were 1.4 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms, while teens who vaped CBD were 1.7 times more likely to experience anxiety symptoms.

“This is particularly concerning because previous research shows using cannabis as an adolescent can have lifelong consequences as the brain is still developing at that age.”

Mr Chung said although CBD is widely marketed to help with anxiety and insomnia, more high-quality research is still required to support its effectiveness.

“Because this compound is commonly used to target anxiety, we were expecting to find people who vaped CBD would have a lower likelihood of anxiety, but we found the opposite for adolescents,” Mr Chung said.

“This highlights the need for better education around teenage vaping, particularly in raising awareness about the potential health risks and harms with unregulated use.”

Associate Professor Gary Chung Kai Chan said underage vaping trends in Australia needed further investigation.

“In Australia, we’re seeing more cannabis vaping products on the market, including ‘Penjamins’ which are vapes disguised as everyday items such as pens, lip gloss and keys,” Dr Chan said.

“Adolescents could use these products every day, and parents and teachers may not know.

“As cannabis products continue to evolve, it is essential for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to monitor the trend and how different products might affect young people’s mental health.”

The data analysed by the researchers was from the US National Youth Tobacco Survey across a three-year period between 2021-2023.

Mr Chung said more longitudinal studies were needed to investigate whether vaping cannabis was causing more depressive and anxiety symptoms, or whether people with depression and anxiety were more likely to vape.

The research is published in Addiction.