Marijuana and Depression

The drug czar's office wants us to believe that marijuana causes or worsens depression. Too bad science keeps moving in precisely the opposite direction, as noted in two articles just published in Cannabinoids, the journal of the International Association for Cannabis as Medicine. In one, Viennese physician Kurt Blass discusses successful treatment of depression with dronabinol (Marinol), the THC pill. In the second, University of Texas researcher Regina A. Mangieri discusses the animal studies in which cannabinoids have shown antidepressant-like activity. No one is arguing that depressed teens should self-medicate with marijuana rather than seek professional help, but one-sided, misleading "information" from our government doesn't help parents navigate these complex situations.