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Medical Marijuana Fails to Improve Symptoms, Doubles Risk of Addiction, Study Says
Study Finds ^ | MARCH 21, 2022

Posted on 03/23/2022 10:12:55 AM PDT by nickcarraway

Medical marijuana fails to improve symptoms of pain, anxiety, and depression — while increasing the risk that patients will develop an addiction to cannabis, a new study warns. Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital add that up to one in five users may develop cannabis use disorder (CUD).

The findings come from a review of medical marijuana card holders in the United States. A growing number of states now allow the use and sale of medical marijuana to help alleviate the symptoms of conditions including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and the side-effects from chemotherapy.

“There have been many claims about the benefits of medical marijuana for treating pain, insomnia, anxiety and depression, without sound scientific evidence to support them,” says Professor Jodi Gilman in a media release.

“In this first study of patients randomized to obtain medical marijuana cards, we learned there can be negative consequences to using cannabis for medical purposes. People with pain, anxiety or depression symptoms failed to report any improvements, though those with insomnia experienced improved sleep.”

Those with anxiety or depression were most vulnerable to CUD, a discovery Prof. Gilman describes is “particularly disturbing.” The team notes that these are also the most common conditions patients seek a medical cannabis prescription to treat.

Does the medical marijuana prescription system need an overhaul? The findings suggest the need for stronger safeguards over dispensing and tracking of patients, the MGH team says. In the U.S., medical cannabis cards require written approval of a licensed doctor who is typically not the patient’s primary care provider. They may provide authorization with only a cursory examination, no recommendations for alternative treatments, and no follow-up. In fact, the industry functions outside regulatory standards that apply to most fields of medicine.

In the trial, Prof. Gilman and colleagues recruited 269 adults from Boston interested in obtaining an MMC. Study authors split the participants into two groups, with one having access to marijuana immediately and the second having to wait — acting as a control. Over the next 12 weeks, the risk of developing CUD nearly doubled among the people getting immediate access to medical marijuana.

By the end of the trial, doctors diagnosed one in 10 with addiction. That number rose to 20 percent among participants seeking a card for anxiety or depression.

“Our study underscores the need for better decision-making about whether to begin to use cannabis for specific medical complaints, particularly mood and anxiety disorders, which are associated with an increased risk of cannabis use disorder,” Prof. Gilman says.

“There needs to be better guidance to patients around a system that currently allows them to choose their own products, decide their own dosing, and often receive no professional follow-up care.”

The study findings are published in JAMA Network Open.


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Hobbies; Science
KEYWORDS: addiction; health; marijuana; medicalmarijuana; pot
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To: nickcarraway

Im living by the grace of God. After battling 3 kinds of cancer and dealing with months of chemo and other forms of pain, medical marijuana is keeping me off a dozen prescription drugs. My only side effects are a stronger desire for pistachio ice cream.


41 posted on 03/23/2022 1:08:23 PM PDT by Wilderness Conservative (Nature is the ultimate conservative)
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To: Spktyr

Yeah—that is my read as well.

I have no interest in using it—but it seems to have a wide variety of effects, some positive, some negative, on different people.

That may be a function of the wide varieties out there—folks who use it really need to do their homework.


42 posted on 03/23/2022 1:12:36 PM PDT by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
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To: LouAvul

“Addictive” is a loaded term.

There is physical addiction and then there is addiction (strong form of preference) to a routine behavior.

The details matter—and most comments (and apparently this “study”) do not distinguish between the two.


43 posted on 03/23/2022 1:14:55 PM PDT by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
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To: nickcarraway

Ha ha ha ha “cannabis use DISORDER.” What a crock , I know PLENTY of people that smoke pot (I choose not to} but my God people it is less costly to society than booze (which I imbibe}....Once the thieves figured out how to milk the system and earn DOLLARS off of the legalization of pot they opened the barn doors to Hybrid extremely potent pot....back in the 70’s we would have some with beer’s at a fire out in the woods and it was no big deal. It is no gateway drug unless your cut from the cloth that is easily swayed by Meth or Heroin. “Cannabis use disorder” what a joke ..


44 posted on 03/23/2022 2:35:53 PM PDT by mythenjoseph
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To: mythenjoseph

It’s a gateway drug to socialism.


45 posted on 03/23/2022 3:22:35 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: mythenjoseph

The only way it should be legalized is if the government gets zero taxes from it.


46 posted on 03/23/2022 3:23:23 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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