Are cannabis use problems comparable across individuals using for recreational and medical purposes? An international cross-sectional study of individuals who use self-grown cannabis.
Cannabis growers
Medical cannabis use
Recreational cannabis use
Risk factors
Severity of dependence scale
Journal
The International journal on drug policy
ISSN: 1873-4758
Titre abrégé: Int J Drug Policy
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 9014759
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023
Historique:
received:
14
07
2023
revised:
10
11
2023
accepted:
12
11
2023
medline:
13
12
2023
pubmed:
13
12
2023
entrez:
13
12
2023
Statut:
aheadofprint
Résumé
Little is known about cannabis use problems among individuals who use cannabis for medical purposes and whether rates and determinants of cannabis use problems in medical users differ to those observed among individuals using for recreational reasons. This study examines whether Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) scores differ across individuals who use self-grown cannabis for the following reasons: "recreational only", "medical and recreational" and "medical only". Furthermore, the study tests whether cannabis use frequency, cannabis strain, and type of cannabis influences the strength of the association between purpose of use and cannabis use problems. Data (n = 5,347) were collected from a subsample of the Global Cannabis Cultivation Research Consortium project, focusing on small-scale cannabis growers in 18 countries. Robust regressions analyzed differences in SDS scores across the three use motivation groups. Compared with respondents reporting only recreational motivations of cannabis use, those with medical (with and without recreational) motivations were associated with lower SDS scores (B: -0.190 and B: -0.459, p < 0.001 respectively). Daily use was associated with significantly higher SDS scores across all cannabis motivation groups, albeit the magnitude of the association was significantly smaller among individuals with medical motivations of use. The extent to which people experience cannabis use problems, and the determinants of these problems may differ depending on whether cannabis use is motivated by recreational or medical purposes. As such, the findings of the current study suggest that public education efforts, harm reduction approaches and policy responses should be tailored depending on whether cannabis is used for recreational or medical purposes.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Little is known about cannabis use problems among individuals who use cannabis for medical purposes and whether rates and determinants of cannabis use problems in medical users differ to those observed among individuals using for recreational reasons. This study examines whether Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) scores differ across individuals who use self-grown cannabis for the following reasons: "recreational only", "medical and recreational" and "medical only". Furthermore, the study tests whether cannabis use frequency, cannabis strain, and type of cannabis influences the strength of the association between purpose of use and cannabis use problems.
METHODS
METHODS
Data (n = 5,347) were collected from a subsample of the Global Cannabis Cultivation Research Consortium project, focusing on small-scale cannabis growers in 18 countries. Robust regressions analyzed differences in SDS scores across the three use motivation groups.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Compared with respondents reporting only recreational motivations of cannabis use, those with medical (with and without recreational) motivations were associated with lower SDS scores (B: -0.190 and B: -0.459, p < 0.001 respectively). Daily use was associated with significantly higher SDS scores across all cannabis motivation groups, albeit the magnitude of the association was significantly smaller among individuals with medical motivations of use.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
The extent to which people experience cannabis use problems, and the determinants of these problems may differ depending on whether cannabis use is motivated by recreational or medical purposes. As such, the findings of the current study suggest that public education efforts, harm reduction approaches and policy responses should be tailored depending on whether cannabis is used for recreational or medical purposes.
Identifiants
pubmed: 38087710
pii: S0955-3959(23)00310-9
doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104263
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
104263Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of Competing Interest No conflict declared.