MD may have demonstrated relationships with PTSD alone because individuals with PTSD may use marijuana for coping reasons (20,45,46) or to regulate emotions (47). Continued use for these reasons may increase the likelihood of becoming dependent on marijuana, especially among individuals with untreated PTSD. The finding that TE did not significantly increase risk for marijuana dependence may indicate the importance of the emotional reaction to trauma (and not trauma exposure itself) in increasing MD risk, or may be a function of limited power to detect smaller effects in the 315 participants reporting lifetime marijuana use. Future studies with larger proportions of marijuana use could determine if TE and marijuana dependence are related.
