cannabis may lead to the use of other illicit drugs, which is reinforced by increased frequency and earlier onset of use [144], thus increasing the risk of SUDs and closely aligned mental illnesses, notably depression and anxiety. In a paradoxical twist, the use of cannabis to self-medicate for depression and anxiety may in fact lead to CUD (or SUD), with individuals suffering with a mental illness generating higher dependence on cannabis as a coping strategy for the management of these symptoms and consequently augmenting the risk of developing CUD (or SUD), which in turn may lead to an augmented risk of exacerbating severe depression and anxiety. These effects can be worsened by different factors, such as an earlier age of onset of use, the quantity and potency, the frequency, as well as the period of use and percentage of THC in the preparation [11,145]. In any case, these effects are essentially due to the actions of THC acting as a partial agonist at CB1R [146,147]. In contrast with THC, the use of CBD, the second most abundant cannabinoid in cannabis, has been shown to be devoid of any direct psychoactive behavioral effect in animal studies and, notably, had no rewarding
