Cannabis use disorder and male sex predict medical cannabis card status in a sample of high risk adolescents

Neurogenetic and Epigenetic Aspects of Cannabinoids

Cannabis is one of the most commonly used and abused illicit drugs in the world today. The United States (US) currently has the highest annual prevalence rate of cannabis consumption in the world, 17.9% in individuals aged 12 or older, and it is on the rise. With increasing cannabis use comes the potential for an increase in abuse, and according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 5.1% of Americans had Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) in 2020. Research has shown that genetics and epigenetics play a significant role in cannabis use and CUD. In fact, approximately 50–70% of liability to CUD and 40–48% of cannabis use initiation have been found to be the result of genetic factors. Cannabis usage and CUD have also been linked to an increased risk of psychiatric disorders and Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) subsets like schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder. Comprehension of the genetic and epigenetic aspects of cannabinoids is necessary for future research, treatment plans, and the production of pure cannabinoid compounds, which will be essential for FDA approval. In conclusion, having a better understanding of the epigenetic and genetic underpinnings of cannabis use, CUD, and the endocannabinoid system as a whole will aid in the development of effective FDA-approved treatment therapies and the advancement of personalized medicine.

Daily cannabis use, cannabis use disorder, and any medical cannabis use among US adults: Associations within racial, ethnic, and sexual minoritized identities in a changing policy context

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Daily cannabis use, disorder, and medical use were higher among sexual minoritized adults.

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Magnitudes of association were comparable across racial and ethnic subgroups.

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Associations with cross-sectional MCL status differed by racial, ethnic, and sexual minoritized subgroup.

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Cannabis outcome prevalences were generally higher in states with MCLs.

Differences in cannabis use patterns among racial, ethnic and sexual minoritized identity subgroups have been attributed to marginalized identity stressors. However, associations at the intersection of these minoritized identities remain underexplored in a changing medical cannabis law (MCL) context. We estimated medical cannabis and daily cannabis use, and cannabis use disorder (CUD) by intersecting racial, ethnic and sexual minoritized identity subgroups. We included 189,800 adults in the 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health identifying as non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic Black, or Hispanic and self-reported heterosexual, gay/lesbian, or bisexual sexual identity. We estimated the adjusted odds of past-year: (a) any medical cannabis, (b) daily cannabis use (i.e., 300 + days/year), and (c) DSM-5-proxy CUD by sexual identity, stratified by race and ethnicity. Cannabis measures were higher among sexual minoritized groups than heterosexual adults across racial and ethnic subgroups. Bisexual adults had higher odds of any medical cannabis use than their heterosexual counterparts: non-Hispanic white (6.4% vs. 1.8%; aOR = 2.6, 95% CI = [2.5–3.5]), non-Hispanic Black (4.1% vs. 1.7%; aOR = 2.7, 95% CI = [1.6–4.5]), and Hispanic adults (5.3% vs. 1.8 %; aOR = 2.6, 95% CI = [1.9–3.3]). We found heterogeneous associations with state MCL status across subgroups stratified by race and ethnicity. Bisexual adults in MCL states had higher odds of any medical cannabis use among non-Hispanic white (aOR = 2.0, 95% CI = [1.4–2.9]) and Hispanic (aOR = 3.6, 95% CI = [1.2–10.2]) adults compared to their non-MCL counterparts, but this was marginal among non-Hispanic Black bisexual adults (aOR = 1.6, 95% CI = [1.0–2.6]). Studies should assess intended and unintended cannabis policy effects among racial, ethnic, and sexual identity subgroups.

Prevalence and Correlates of Medicinal Cannabis Use Among Adolescents

PURPOSE

Prior studies of medicinal cannabis use (MCU) have focused primarily on adults. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of self-reported MCU among adolescents.

METHODS

Secondary school students (grades 9-12; N = 3,221) completed a cross-sectional survey in classrooms across Ontario, Canada, in 2016-2017. Participants reported on cannabis use behavior, cannabis dependence, other drugs use, and general health and sleep. Participants reporting cannabis use in the past year were grouped based on whether they reported MCU or not (i.e., recreational cannabis use only [RCU-only]).

RESULTS

An estimated 6.89% (95% confidence interval 5.48%-8.63%) of students reported MCU, representing one quarter of the students reporting current cannabis use. Relative to the RCU-only group, the MCU group reported using cannabis more frequently, were more likely to report vaping and eating cannabis, had greater risk for cannabis dependence, perceived cannabis as less harmful, were more likely to report tobacco use, recreational use of other drugs, and medicinal use of sedatives or tranquilizers, and were less likely to report good health and sleeping for seven or more hours per night. Frequency of cannabis use accounted for differences between MCU and RCU-only groups in cannabis dependence risk, recreational use of other drugs, and perceiving cannabis as harmful, but it did not account for the other differences.

CONCLUSIONS

A sizable portion of secondary school students report MCU, which appears to be associated with more frequent cannabis use and certain substance use and health-related correlates. Research is needed to further characterize motives for self-reported MCU among adolescents.