Marajuana use and its impact on depression?

[cath52]

Can marajuana act as an anti-depressant?  My son, age 29 experienced a life crisis a year ago (loss of his business,driver's licence and financial ruin) that led to a severe depression  and two serious suicide attempts. This was the first time he ever experienced depression. He was hospitalized twice, once for a month and the second time for two months following the attempt on his life.  Upon his discharge from the hospital in September, he stopped taking his medication - (effexor) due to many negative side effects.  Unfortunately he is not open to trying other medications.  He also does maintain contact with the psychiatrist who attended to him at the hospital.  In spite of this lack of intervention, he didn't appear to be showing sign of depression and would talk openly about "not feeling suicidal" and not needing meds.  I have since learned  from him that he is using marajuana on a daily basis in small quantities, although he does not show any evidence of being "stoned".
Recently, at our urging (due to the risk of criminal charges)  he decided that he would give up the "weed".  Within three days we saw a very significant change in his mood, demeanor and personality.  He was irritable,  angry, verbally aggressive, with a very negative outlook.  I feared the depression had returned with a vengence.  On the fourth day, he went out with friends and admittedly smoked marajuana.  He has since resumed his light use and his personality has returned to "normal". I see no further evidence of these negative behaviors. I should add that during his hospital admission, the working diagnosis was severe depression, however, they said that there was some possiblity that it could also be bi-polar (without mania) and that only time would tell.
Is it possible that the  marajuana serves as a mood stabalizer/anti depressent?   Are there other potential negative side effects of this street drug that we are unaware of?  I am still concerned about the potential for criminal charges associated with the use of marajuana - is there a prescription medication that provides the same relaxing effect as marajuana that he could use without side effects?  

[NorcoQueenoftheUniverse]

My Mom  ( who is 79) has a medical marijuana license.. and 'eats brownies" every night before bed.. She has COPD and CHF and I truly believe that her "use" helps her to relax enough so that she can sleep at night without feeling like she is suffocating..
This is a God Sent...

So, with that said.. I think that marijuana has it's benefits (*in the right circumstances)

[Lisahhh]

And, while marijuana can become mentally addictive for some people, it is not physically addictive. Also, nobody has ever died from smoking marijuana alone - although I'm sure most of us have stories about dumb things people have done after smoking.

I'm not saying it's OK for your son to smoke, but I can think of a lot of things that are much more harmful and destructive than smoking pot.

[Lisahhh]

Marijuana can absolutely serve as a mood stabilizer and anti-depressent. I think that it definitely needs to be used responsibly, but there are many valid medicinal purposes for it. I live in California, where it's possible to get a prescription for medicinal marijuana. I do not have one myself, but many of the people I know who do, swear that they would much rather use something natural than compounded chemicals to address their medical issues, including pain management and depression.