Bisexuals Use Pot At Higher Rates To Combat Depression & Anxiety, What About Other Sexual Minorities?

It's no secret that cannabis and LGBTQ reform efforts have been intertwined for decades. Some even believe that one would not exist without the other.

"Arguably, neither would exist as they do today if not for the other," Tyme Ferris, founder and CEO of cannabis brand Pantheon Collective told Benzinga last year.

So far, little research has focused on patterns of use among these groups. However, psychologists from Washington State University addressed the issue in a new study titled "The Pot at the End of the Rainbow," reported News Medical.

According to researchers, young people classified as bisexuals are more open to using cannabis to cope with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety than young heterosexuals.

The study, published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, also showed that in addition to bisexuals, gay and lesbian individuals are using marijuana more frequently than young heterosexuals.

"The group classified as bisexual was more likely to report using cannabis to cope as well as for enhancement, which is a bit surprising," said Kyle Schofield, a WSU Ph.D. candidate in psychology and first author of the study. "The coping motive was less surprising because we also saw that the group classified as bisexual reported higher levels of all the mental health problems that we looked at in the study."

The extensive analysis included nearly 4,700 university students between 18 and 30. It was based on data from an Addictions Research Team survey, which combines participant pools from 10 universities nationwide. Bisexuals, who, according to the study were more prone to cannabis use disorder, accounted for nearly a quarter of those surveyed.

Schofield said that bisexuals might face more stress than other sexual minorities, which is in line with the study's findings.

"People who are in sexual minority groups not only face normal life stress but also an additional column of stress that's related to being a sexual minority," he continued. "For bisexual people, there may be even more different types of stress since they can face discrimination from gay as well as straight communities, and additional stress can lead to negative mental health outcomes."

Schofield's advising professor Carrie Cuttler also thinks that the motive among students in the bisexual group is an urge to try new things.

"Enhancement is about expanding one's own awareness, being more open to experience and more creative, so perhaps it all this comes back to openness," said Cuttler, assistant psychology prof and senior author of the study.

Photo: Benzinga Edit, source: Alexander Grey and Nick Harsell on Unsplash