Cannabis use in relation to illicit drug use and health problems among opiate misusers in treatment

Abstract

AbstractThe study investigated cannabis use among 200 opiate misusers attending out‐patient treatment services at two sites. Three groups were classified according to the frequency of their cannabis use in the previous month; 40.5% were non‐users, 40% daily users and the remaining 19.5% were classified as occasional users (they had used on between 1 and 29 days in the previous month). Non‐users of cannabis had used heroin in the previous month on more occasions than either daily or occasional users (p < 0.001). Non‐cannabis users also reported the highest average frequencies of use of alcohol (p < 0.01) and crack cocaine (p < 0.05). In contrast, daily users of cannabis reported more symptoms of anxiety (p < 0.01) and depression (p < 0.01) than either of the other groups. Finally, daily cannabis users were more likely to report dietary problems than either occasional users or non‐users of cannabis. While cannabis use is highly prevalent among opiate misusers in treatment, its relationship to treatment outcome is complex and requires greater research scrutiny.