Research suggests that the prevalence of marijuana use and depression are\nincreasing in the United States. Although it is not entirely clear what accounts\nfor these coincident trends, several studies have shown that these two health\nconcerns are associated among young people. This study assessed four hypotheses\nregarding the association between marijuana use and depression: 1)\nwhether marijuana use affects subsequent symptoms of depression; 2)\nwhether depressive symptoms affect subsequent marijuana use; 3) whether\nthey are associated in a bidirectional (reciprocal) manner; and 4) whether the\nassociation between the two is confounded by stressful life events. Using eight\nyears of longitudinal data from the Family Wellness and Health Study, a\nfixed-effects regression model provided empirical support for the first hypothesis\nonly, but not for the others. Future research should explore in greater\ndetail why marijuana use may have a causal impact on experiences with depression\namong young people.
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