Canadian university students using cannabis medicinally do so mostly for mental health conditions with little evidence
Among Canadian university students, 11% reported medicinal cannabis use, primarily for anxiety, sleep, depression, and pain. Most medicinal uses lacked strong evidence, 38% replaced prescribed medications with cannabis, and 14% met criteria for cannabis use disorder.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
52% had used cannabis at least once; 11% reported medicinal use. Among medicinal users, 85% also had recreational motives, 38% replaced traditional medication with cannabis, 78% used for at least one mental health condition, and 13.6% met CUD criteria. None of the reported ailments met Canadian prescribing guidelines or had strong evidence.
Key Numbers
2,212 respondents. 52% ever used cannabis. 11% medicinal use. 85% of medicinal users also used recreationally. 38% replaced medication. 78% used for mental health. 13.6% met CUD criteria.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional web-based survey of a random sample of 4,000 Canadian university students (2,212 completed, 55.3% response rate, mean age 23.2 years).
Why This Research Matters
University students are self-medicating with cannabis for conditions lacking evidence of effectiveness, replacing evidence-based treatments, and developing use disorders. The line between medical and recreational use is blurry in this population.
The Bigger Picture
The findings raise a troubling pattern: young people are replacing prescribed psychiatric medications with cannabis, often without medical guidance, for conditions where cannabis evidence is weak. This could lead to untreated mental illness.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Single university in Canada. Self-reported medicinal status. Cross-sectional design. Response rate, while decent, may overrepresent cannabis-interested students.
Questions This Raises
- ?Are students stopping prescribed medications without clinician knowledge?
- ?Does cannabis use for mental health actually improve or worsen outcomes?
- ?Should universities screen for medicinal cannabis use during mental health assessments?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 38% of medicinal users replaced prescribed medications with cannabis
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate: reasonable sample size and response rate from a random university sample.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2019.
- Original Title:
- Cannabis Use for Medicinal Purposes among Canadian University Students.
- Published In:
- Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 64(5), 351-355 (2019)
- Authors:
- Smith, Jacqueline M, Mader, Joel, Szeto, Andrew C H, Arria, Amelia M, Winters, Ken C, Wilkes, T Chris R
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02299
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Is cannabis effective for anxiety and depression?
Current evidence does not strongly support cannabis for anxiety or depression. In fact, some studies suggest cannabis use may worsen these conditions, particularly with regular use in young adults.
Why are students replacing prescribed medications?
Possible reasons include dissatisfaction with side effects of prescribed drugs, perceived effectiveness of cannabis, social normalization, and the desire for a "natural" remedy. This substitution is concerning because most of these conditions have evidence-based treatments.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02299APA
Smith, Jacqueline M; Mader, Joel; Szeto, Andrew C H; Arria, Amelia M; Winters, Ken C; Wilkes, T Chris R. (2019). Cannabis Use for Medicinal Purposes among Canadian University Students.. Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 64(5), 351-355. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743718818420
MLA
Smith, Jacqueline M, et al. "Cannabis Use for Medicinal Purposes among Canadian University Students.." Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743718818420
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis Use for Medicinal Purposes among Canadian Universit..." RTHC-02299. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/smith-2019-cannabis-use-for-medicinal
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.