 
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 12, 2010Â
People who use cannabis are twice as likely to have mental health issues as those who do not.
These are the findings of a recent study published by Statistics Netherlands—known in Dutch as the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS). CBS is the Dutch governmental institution that gathers statistical information about the Netherlands.
Carried out between 2007 and 2009, researchers studied 18,500 people and found that more than four percent of 15- to 65-year-olds had smoked cannabis during the previous month. More than a quarter of this group reported smoking cannabis on a daily or almost-daily basis.
Cannabis—also known as marijuana—is a recreational drug used worldwide. It is only exceeded in popularity by alcohol, caffeine and tobacco. Estimates of those who have tried the drug in the United States alone exceed 100 million.
There has also been notable interest in the use of cannabis for medical conditions including neurogenic pain, movement disorders, glaucoma and asthma.
This recent study found that nearly 20Â percent of male cannabis users indicated they had psychological problems versus nearly 10Â percent of nonusers. Similarly, the findings indicated that more than 28Â percent of female users had psychological problems versus more than 14Â percent of nonusers, according to CBS.
The most common complaints associated with mental health were nervousness, depression, unhappiness or restlessness.
“People who reported to have smoked cannabis in the past 30 days in the period 2007-2009, feel less healthy mentally or psychologically than non-cannabis users,†CBS wrote in a statement.
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/10/08/cannabis-use-increases-risk-for-mental-health-issues-2/19425.html
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