Study: Early access to medical marijuana increases likelihood of marijuana use disorder

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A study is casting some doubt on the use of medical marijuana in the treatment of anxiety and depression.

The Harvard medical study published in Friday's Jama Network Open divided 268 adult patients into two groups.

One group got a medical marijuana card to treat their pain, anxiety or depression immediately while the other group had to wait 12 weeks.

Those patients who had earlier access were 20% more likely to develop marijuana use disorder.

That means they became dependent on marijuana without showing improvement in their symptoms.