Non-dysfunctional Cannabis Users Report Better Quality of Life than Non-Users
Published in February 2022 in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, this self-reported study examined quality of life among cannabis users and non-users. Cannabis users were categorized into three groups: occasional users, habitual users, and dysfunctional users.
The study surveyed 6620 cannabis users and 785 non-users. About 8% of the cannabis users self-reported themselves as dysfunctional users, and 65% reported themselves as habitual users. Participants were mostly young male adults, with at least high-school education, employed, and without children. Habitual users of cannabis reported the highest quality of life scores.
The definitions of habitual and dysfunctional use are not included in the abstract. As respondents self-reported their classification, hard definitions are less important for this study. But it DOES bring an important consideration to light: if your habitual cannabis use is NOT improving or enhancing your quality of life, then you might be considered a dysfunctional user.
"The highest scores for quality of life were observed among habitual cannabis users, followed by occasional users, while both non-users and dysfunctional users presented less favorable scores...non-users of cannabis reported more depression or anxiety symptoms and less quality of life than both occasional and habitual users."