Teen Cannabis Use Trajectories Predict Mental Health Problems Into Young Adulthood
A longitudinal study following teens from age 13 to 25 identified four cannabis use trajectories, with early-onset escalating users showing the highest rates of depression, anxiety, and cannabis use disorder by age 25.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Four trajectories emerged: non/minimal users, late-onset moderate users, early-onset moderate users, and early-onset escalating users. Early-onset escalators had significantly higher rates of CUD (OR=8.2), depression (OR=3.1), and anxiety (OR=2.4) at age 25 compared to non/minimal users. Late-onset moderate users had elevated CUD risk but not mental health problems.
Key Numbers
Ages 13-25 follow-up. Four trajectory groups identified. Early-onset escalators: CUD OR=8.2, depression OR=3.1, anxiety OR=2.4 vs. non-users at age 25.
How They Did This
Prospective cohort study following participants from age 13 to 25. Annual cannabis use assessments. Group-based trajectory modeling. Mental health outcomes assessed at age 25 with validated instruments.
Why This Research Matters
Not all teen cannabis use carries the same risk. Identifying which trajectory patterns predict problems allows for targeted intervention — early-onset escalating use is the red flag, not simply any teen experimentation.
The Bigger Picture
Prevention programs often treat all teen cannabis use as equally risky. This study suggests focusing resources on early-onset users whose use escalates over time, rather than on experimenters or late-onset moderate users.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Observational — trajectories may reflect underlying risk factors rather than causal effects of cannabis. Self-reported use. Attrition over 12 years. Confounders like trauma and family history may not be fully controlled.
Questions This Raises
- ?Can early-onset escalating trajectories be identified early enough for intervention?
- ?Do these trajectory-outcome relationships hold across different racial and socioeconomic groups?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Prospective cohort with long follow-up and validated outcomes provides strong evidence for trajectory-outcome associations.
- Study Age:
- 2025 longitudinal study with 12 years of follow-up from adolescence to young adulthood.
- Original Title:
- An integrated behavioral approach to understanding sociocognitive determinants and risk profiles of cannabis use in adolescents.
- Published In:
- Adicciones, 37(2), 141-154 (2025)
- Authors:
- Torrejón-Guirado, María-Carmen, Jolani, Shahab, Lima-Serrano, Marta, Mercken, Liesbeth, De Vries, Hein
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07813
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
Is teen cannabis use always harmful?
This study found different patterns carry different risks. Late-onset moderate users had elevated CUD risk but not mental health problems, while early-onset escalating users had significantly worse outcomes across all measures.
Which teens are most at risk from cannabis?
Those who start early (around age 13-14) and escalate their use over time had 8x higher odds of cannabis use disorder and 3x higher odds of depression by age 25.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07813APA
Torrejón-Guirado, María-Carmen; Jolani, Shahab; Lima-Serrano, Marta; Mercken, Liesbeth; De Vries, Hein. (2025). An integrated behavioral approach to understanding sociocognitive determinants and risk profiles of cannabis use in adolescents.. Adicciones, 37(2), 141-154. https://doi.org/10.20882/adicciones.1961
MLA
Torrejón-Guirado, María-Carmen, et al. "An integrated behavioral approach to understanding sociocognitive determinants and risk profiles of cannabis use in adolescents.." Adicciones, 2025. https://doi.org/10.20882/adicciones.1961
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "An integrated behavioral approach to understanding sociocogn..." RTHC-07813. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/torrejon-guirado-2025-an-integrated-behavioral-approach
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.