TY - JOUR
T1 - Development of cannabis use disorder in medical cannabis users
T2 - A 9-month follow-up of a randomized clinical trial testing effects of medical cannabis card ownership
AU - Cooke, Megan E.
AU - Potter, Kevin W.
AU - Jashinski, Julia
AU - Pascale, Michael
AU - Schuster, Randi M.
AU - Tervo-Clemmens, Brenden
AU - Hoeppner, Bettina B.
AU - Pachas, Gladys N.
AU - Evins, A. Eden
AU - Gilman, Jodi M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 Cooke, Potter, Jashinski, Pascale, Schuster, Tervo-Clemmens, Hoeppner, Pachas, Evins and Gilman.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Background: Evidence for long-term effectiveness of commercial cannabis products used to treat medical symptoms is inconsistent, despite increasingly widespread use. Objective: To prospectively evaluate the effects of using cannabis on self-reported symptoms of pain, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and cannabis use disorder (CUD) after 12 months of use. Methods: This observational cohort study describes outcomes over 9 months following a 12-week randomized, waitlist-controlled trial (RCT: NCT03224468) in which adults (N = 163) who wished to use cannabis to alleviate insomnia, pain, depression, or anxiety symptoms were randomly assigned to obtain a medical marijuana card immediately (immediate card acquisition group) or to delay obtaining a card for 12 weeks delay (delayed card acquisition group). During the 9-month post-randomization period, all participants could use cannabis as they wished and choose their cannabis products, doses, and frequency of use. Insomnia, pain, depression, anxiety, and CUD symptoms were assessed over the 9-month post-randomization period. Results: After 12 months of using cannabis for medical symptoms, 11.7% of all participants (n = 19), and 17.1% of those using cannabis daily or near-daily (n = 6) developed CUD. Frequency of cannabis use was positively correlated with pain severity and number of CUD symptoms, but not significantly associated with severity of self-reported insomnia, depression, or anxiety symptoms. Depression scores improved throughout the 9 months in all participants, regardless of cannabis use frequency. Conclusions: Frequency of cannabis use was not associated with improved pain, anxiety, or depression symptoms but was associated with new-onset cannabis use disorder in a significant minority of participants. Daily or near-daily cannabis use appears to have little benefit for these symptoms after 12 months of use.
AB - Background: Evidence for long-term effectiveness of commercial cannabis products used to treat medical symptoms is inconsistent, despite increasingly widespread use. Objective: To prospectively evaluate the effects of using cannabis on self-reported symptoms of pain, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and cannabis use disorder (CUD) after 12 months of use. Methods: This observational cohort study describes outcomes over 9 months following a 12-week randomized, waitlist-controlled trial (RCT: NCT03224468) in which adults (N = 163) who wished to use cannabis to alleviate insomnia, pain, depression, or anxiety symptoms were randomly assigned to obtain a medical marijuana card immediately (immediate card acquisition group) or to delay obtaining a card for 12 weeks delay (delayed card acquisition group). During the 9-month post-randomization period, all participants could use cannabis as they wished and choose their cannabis products, doses, and frequency of use. Insomnia, pain, depression, anxiety, and CUD symptoms were assessed over the 9-month post-randomization period. Results: After 12 months of using cannabis for medical symptoms, 11.7% of all participants (n = 19), and 17.1% of those using cannabis daily or near-daily (n = 6) developed CUD. Frequency of cannabis use was positively correlated with pain severity and number of CUD symptoms, but not significantly associated with severity of self-reported insomnia, depression, or anxiety symptoms. Depression scores improved throughout the 9 months in all participants, regardless of cannabis use frequency. Conclusions: Frequency of cannabis use was not associated with improved pain, anxiety, or depression symptoms but was associated with new-onset cannabis use disorder in a significant minority of participants. Daily or near-daily cannabis use appears to have little benefit for these symptoms after 12 months of use.
KW - anxiety
KW - cannabis (marijuana)
KW - cannabis use disorder
KW - depression
KW - insomnia
KW - medical cannabis
KW - medical marijuana
KW - pain
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85150489262&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85150489262&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1083334
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1083334
M3 - Article
C2 - 36960460
AN - SCOPUS:85150489262
SN - 1664-0640
VL - 14
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
JF - Frontiers in Psychiatry
M1 - 1083334
ER -
