Association of Marijuana Use With Psychological Distress Among Adults in United States

PurposeDetermine the association of marijuana use with serious psychological distress (SPD) among adults aged 18 years or older using a large, nationally representative sample of US households.DesignCross-sectional analysis.SettingData from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2021.Subjects47,247 respondents representing 253.7 million adults (age>18 years) in the US.MeasuresMarijuana use was categorized as (1) None, (2) within the past month, (3) within 1 year, and (4) more than a year ago from the interview time. SPD was measured with the Kessler-6 distress scale.AnalysisBivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses accounting for complex survey designs were conducted.ResultsAmong adults in the US, 50.9% never used marijuana, 13.7%, 6.0%, and 29.4% reported marijuana use in the past month, in the past year, and more than a year ago, respectively. Individuals using marijuana within the past month, within a year, and more than a year ago reported higher past month SPD (15.3%, 13.5%, and 6.8%, respectively) than never-users (4.9%). Adjusted logistic regression analysis revealed that marijuana use in the past month, past year (1-12 months), and over a year ago is associated with higher SPD (AOR [95% CI] = 2.06 [1.72, 2.45]; 1.82 [1.50, 2.21]; 1.53 [1.26, 1.87], respectively) compared to no marijuana use.ConclusionAdults who used marijuana more recently were more likely to report SPD.