Abstract
BackgroundThe rise of authorized marijuana use in the U.S. means that many individuals are using cannabis as they concurrently engage in other forms of treatment, such as substance abuse counseling and psychotherapy. Clinical and legal decisions may be influenced by findings that suggest marijuana use during treatment serves as an obstacle to treatment success, compromises treatment integrity, or increases the prevalence or severity of relapse. In this paper, the author reviews the relationship between authorized marijuana use and substance abuse treatment utilizing data from a preliminary pilot study that, for the first time, uses a systematic methodology to collect data examining possible effects on treatment.MethodsData from the California Outcomes Measurement System (CalOMS) were compared for medical (authorized) marijuana users and non-marijuana users who were admitted to a public substance abuse treatment program in California. Behavioral and social treatment outcomes recorded by clinical staff at discharge and reported to the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs were assessed for both groups, which included a sample of 18 reported medical marijuana users.ResultsWhile the findings described here are preliminary and very limited due to the small sample size, the study demonstrates that questions about the relationship between medical marijuana use and involvement in drug treatment can be systematically evaluated. In this small sample, cannabis use did not seem to compromise substance abuse treatment amongst the medical marijuana using group, who (based on these preliminary data) fared equal to or better than non-medical marijuana users in several important outcome categories (e.g., treatment completion, criminal justice involvement, medical concerns).ConclusionsThis exploratory study suggests that medical marijuana is consistent with participation in other forms of drug treatment and may not adversely affect positive treatment outcomes. These findings call for more extensive sampling in future research to allow for more rigorous research on the growing population of medical marijuana users and non-marijuana users who are engaged in substance abuse treatment.
Highlights
The rise of authorized marijuana use in the U.S means that many individuals are using cannabis as they concurrently engage in other forms of treatment, such as substance abuse counseling and psychotherapy
A natural experiment is unfolding in California related to the therapeutic use of marijuana as a component of substance abuse treatment for alcohol, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and other drugs of abuse
Any legitimate medical use of marijuana, counties in California remain accountable to the state government for implementation of medical marijuana laws as passed by voter initiative and legislative action
Summary
The rise of authorized marijuana use in the U.S means that many individuals are using cannabis as they concurrently engage in other forms of treatment, such as substance abuse counseling and psychotherapy. Despite Macleod’s [14] analysis of weaknesses in methodology, analysis, and interpretation of studies linking marijuana use to mental illness, Hall & Room’s [15] comprehensive review of published studies concluded that there is reasonable evidence to suggest that regular cannabis use predicts an increased risk of schizophrenia and psychotic symptoms. They concluded that the public health harm from cannabis remains substantially lower than from legal substances such as alcohol and tobacco. Consistent answers to questions about marijuana’s social and health effects still allude clinical, scholarly, and legal domains
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
