Adults in Pain More Likely to Use Cannabis Without Prescription, Study Finds

Adults who experience pain are more likely to use cannabis without a prescription and have cannabis use disorder than those without pain, according to astudy published yesterday inAJP in Advance.“These results suggest that, among adults with pain, frequent nonmedical cannabis use and cannabis use disorder are growing problems,” wrote Deborah S. Hasin, Ph.D., of the New York State Psychiatric Institute and colleagues. “[T]he need remains for other interventions to manage pain that do n ot incur risk of another substance use disorder (i.e., cannabis use disorder) as an adverse treatment outcome.”Hasin and colleagues analyzed data from two national surveys of adults: the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions and the 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III. Both surveys used the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule to assess substance use and substance use disorders. As part of these surveys, the respondents were asked about their use of cannabis without a prescription or other than prescribed (nonmedical use). Respondents were also asked to rate how much pain interfered with their “normal work” during the previous four weeks.Between the 2001-2002 and 2012-2013 surveys, the prevalence of pain among U.S. adults increased from 19.3% to 20%. Pain was associated with significantly greater risk for any nonmedical cannabis use in both surveys.The prevalence of frequent c...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: ajp in advance cannabis cannabis use disorder Deborah Hasin National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions pain Source Type: research