Cannabis use disorder

Cannabis Use Disorder Overview

• Signs and Symptoms: Comorbidity with mood and anxiety disorders, challenges in discontinuing use, lower school performance in high school seniors, self-medication for psychiatric disorders.
• Dependency: Pharmacokinetic changes, tolerance to THC, development in about 9% of users, doubling of marijuana use in the US, contribution of changes in cannabinoid receptor function.
• Withdrawal: Symptoms like dysphoria, anxiety, and disturbed sleep, onset in the first week of abstinence, association with mood and anxiety disorders.

Causes and Risk Factors of Cannabis Dependency

• Causes: Prolonged and increasing use, escalation due to increased strength and delivery methods, genetic and environmental factors, influence of cannabinoid receptor function.
• Risk Factors: Young age of frequent use, personal maladjustment, early access to cannabis, genetic predisposition, positive early experiences predicting late dependence.

Treatment Approaches for Cannabis Use Disorder

• Treatment Options: Psychological interventions, pharmacological options, peer support, lack of effective medications.
• Psychological Interventions: CBT, MET, family interventions, focus on addressing cannabis use issues.
• Medication Approaches: Agonist substitution, antagonist, modulation, limited efficacy of certain medications.

Efficacy of Medications and Clinical Trials

• Medications: Mixed results with SSRIs, bupropion, atomoxetine, varying outcomes with different medications like baclofen, zolpidem, topiramate, and gabapentin.
• Clinical Trials: Mixed results with dronabinol and lofexidine, benefits of nabilone in reducing withdrawal symptoms, lack of strong evidence for some medications.

Epidemiology and Other Considerations

• Epidemiology: Cannabis as one of the most widely used drugs globally, 46% of US adults having used marijuana, cannabis being the most common illicit substance in US treatment facilities.
• Research: Impaired cognitive functioning with heavy use, need for further research on medications like THC preparations and oxytocin.
• Harm Reduction Strategies: Use of medications like nabilone, quetiapine, and oxytocin, over-the-counter antihistamines for short-term relief.
• Studies and Effects: Various studies on cannabinoid tolerance, clinical effects of medical cannabis, and the impact of cannabis use on human behavior.

Cannabis use disorder Data Sources