Marihuana Use Research Articles

Cannabis use, mental health and suicide attempts among adolescents in Puerto Rico

Abstract Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance worldwide, with recent reports estimating an 11.6% annual prevalence of use in North America. Mental health, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and completed suicides, has been the focus of several studies exploring its association with frequent cannabis use. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between cannabis use, mental health symptoms and suicide attempts among adolescent students in Puerto Rico. Consulta Juvenil X is a monitoring program that aims to study the prevalence of substance use, mental health and violent behavior as well as the risk factors associated with those practices. The survey was conducted during the 2018-20 academic year. The study utilizes a self-administered questionnaire. The sample included 4,668 (54%) females and 3,977 (46%) males. Half of the sample was between seventh and ninth grade with a median age of 15 years old. The majority of the sample was recruited from the public school system in Puerto Rico (70.3%). The prevalence of marihuana use in the public and private schools participating in the study was 9.4% and the suicide attempts was 7.6%. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that students who use marihuana during the last year were significantly more likely to report depressive and anxiety symptoms after controlling for sociodemographic variables. Moreover, adolescents who use marihuana were significantly more likely to report suicide attempts after controlling for depression symptoms (OR = 3.07; 95%CI: 2.53-3.72). Findings of this study suggest that adolescents who report marihuana use seem to be at higher risk for mental health problems and suicide attempts. Understanding who is most likely to report marihuana use is important in developing interventions to prevent mental health problems and suicidal behaviors. Key messages • Findings of this study suggest that adolescents who report marihuana use seem to be at higher risk for mental health problems and suicide attempts. • Understanding who is most likely to report marihuana use is important in developing interventions to prevent mental health problems and suicidal behaviors.

Abstract A013: Factors associated to tobacco smoking and electronic cigarette use among a Hispanic sample of persons living with HIV in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and San Francisco

Abstract Introduction: People living with HIV (PLWH) are at greater risk of developing conditions related to tobacco smoking, given their increased use of tobacco products. A higher prevalence of electronic cigarette use among PLWH than the general population has been also reported. This study assessed factors associated with tobacco smoking and electronic cigarette use among a Hispanic sample of PLWH in Puerto Rico (PR), Mexico, and San Francisco (SF). Methods: Data from an ongoing cross-sectional study (May 2023 – May 2024) of oral HPV infection among a sample of PLWH ≥21 years old in PR [n=211 (women: 26%, men: 74%)], Mexico [n=30 (women: 90%, men: 10%)], and SF [n=18 (women: 11%, men: 89%)] was analyzed. Eligibility criteria included being a participant in the CAMPO study (NCI#U54CA242646). People who agree to participate in the oral HPV study complete an interview that collects sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and relevant clinical procedures. Chi-squared test, Fisher exact test, and logistic regression models were used to evaluate factors associated with current smoking and electronic cigarette use. Results: Mean age (years) was 51.0±12.7 SD in PR, 37.2±8.8 SD in Mexico, and 61.2±10.4 SD in SF. History of AIDS diagnosis was 18.1% in PR, 13.3% in Mexico and 37.5% in SF. In PR, 24.2% were current smokers, 8.6% were current users of electronic cigarettes, and 2.8% used both. In Mexico, 33.3% were current smokers, 3.3% were current users of electronic cigarettes, and 3.3% used both. In SF, 16.7% were current smokers, 22.2% were current users of electronic cigarettes, and 5.6% used both. Regarding other behavioral characteristics, 53.1% in PR, 26.7% in Mexico, and 44.4% in SF reported current alcohol intake and 19.0% in PR, 6.7% in Mexico, and 33.3% in SF reported current marihuana use. In PR, Mexico, and SF, the prevalence of lifetime non-injected drug use was 52.9%, 30.0%, and 66.7%, respectively, while the prevalence of injected drug use was 10.4%, 0.0%, and 16.7%, respectively. In the multivariable logistic regression model adjusted for tobacco consumption, persons with history of injection drug use (OR=1.23; 95% CI 1.04-1.50), and non-injection drug use (OR=1.14; 95% CI 1.03-1.27) had higher odds to be current smokers than their counterparts. Meanwhile, people who report current marihuana use had higher odds of electronic cigarettes use (OR=1.14, 95% CI: 1.04-1.26) in comparison to their counterparts. No significant differences were observed by sex-at-birth, age, and site of recruitment. Conclusion: Our results showed a high prevalence of tobacco consumption among Hispanics living with HIV in PR, Mexico, and San Francisco. Higher odds of tobacco consumption were observed among people with a history of drug use. Similarly, higher odds of electronic cigarette use were observed among people who reported marijuana consumption. These results highlight the need for smoking cessation interventions among high-risk population, such as PLWH with a history of drug use. Acknowledgment: NIDCR Grant #R56DE032668-01, NCI Grant #U54CA242646. Citation Format: Sandra I. Garcia-Camacho, Jeslie M. Ramos-Cartagena, Josue Perez-Santiago, Frances E. Vazquez-Sanchez, Michael A. Santiago-Marrero, Jorge Salmeron, Joel Palefsky, Ana P. Ortiz. Factors associated to tobacco smoking and electronic cigarette use among a Hispanic sample of persons living with HIV in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and San Francisco [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A013.

The exposure to volatile organic chemicals associates positively with rheumatoid arthritis: a cross-sectional study from the NHANES program.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease and closely associated with both genetic and environmental factors. Volatile organic chemicals (VOC), a common environment pollutant, was associated with some autoimmune diseases, while whether VOC exposure or which VOC leads to RA is yet clarified. A cross-sectional study using data from the 6 survey cycles (2005-2006, 2011-2012, 2013-2014, 2015-2016, 2017-2018, 2017-2020) of NHANES program was performed. The RA or non-arthritis status of participant was identified through a questionnaire survey. The quantile logistic regression method was used for correlation analysis between VOC metabolites (VOCs) in urine and RA. The covariates included age, gender, race, educational level, marital status, total energy intake, physical activity, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, urine creatinine, albumin and marihuana use. A total of 9536 participants (aged 20 to 85) with 15 VOCs, comprising 618 RA and 8918 non-arthritis participants, was finally included for analysis. Participants in the RA group showed higher VOCs in urine than that in the non-arthritis group. A positive association between 2 VOCs (AMCC: Q4: OR=2.173, 95%CI: 1.021, 4.627. 3HPMA: Q2: OR=2.286, 95%CI: 1.207 - 4.330; Q4: OR=2.663, 95%CI: 1.288 -5.508.) and RA was detected in the model 3, which was independent of all the covariates. The relative parent compounds of the two VOCs included N,N-Dimethylformamide and acrolein. These findings suggested that the VOC exposure significantly associated with RA, providing newly epidemiological evidence for the establishment that environmental pollutants associated with RA. And also, more prospective studies and related experimental studies are needed to further validate the conclusions of this study.

Synthetic cannabinoids awareness among patients with opioid use disorder in Serbia - A survey based cross-sectional pilot study.

There is limited data on the awareness and use of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) in high-risk population in Serbia, despite SCs becoming more and more common at illicit drug market. This pilot study aimed to examine the awareness and prevalence of use of SCs in patients with an opioid-use disorder and to identify patient characteristics and other factors associated with SCs use. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Clinic for Psychiatry, Clinical Center Vojvodina, Serbia, the largest tertiary health care institution in this region of the country. All patients hospitalized due to the treatment of opioid dependence during November and December 2017 were included (response rate 100%), and filled-out an anonymous questionnaire specifically developed for the purpose of this study. Differences between patients reporting SCs use and those who did not were compared using chi-square test with values of p < 0.05 were considered significant. Out of 64 patients (median age 36.37 years), one third (32.81%) reported using SCs. Socio-demographic characteristics of the subjects were not associated with SCs use. There were differences in the most common sources of information reported between the SCs users and non-users. Majority of SCs users (76.0%) were informed about SCs through friends, compared with just 26.0% of non-users (<0.001). Nearly all study participants (93.8%) were daily tobacco users. The share of respondents reporting alcohol and marihuana use was significantly higher among the SCs users (52.0% vs. 20.9%, p = 0.011 and 15.6% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.015), respectively. Higher share of SCs users used multiple psychoactive substances (38.1% vs. 16.3%), and this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.047). The most commonly reported adverse effect of SCs among users included dry mouth (81.0%), trouble thinking clearly (52.4%) and panic attacks (52.4%). Understanding the awareness and use of SCs among high-risk drug users, as well as associated factors can help improve substance-use disorder treatment in our setting. Educational activities targeting public are urgently needed to raise awareness on SCs, considering that social contacts are the main sources of information on SC for this vulnerable population. Users of SCs have also reported using other psychoactive substances more often, and this calls for a holistic approach addressing multiple factors to improve substance-use treatment in our setting.

"Smoke the Weed" for the Planet: Snoop Lion's Green Reincarnation of Hip Hop

While early hip hop could still offer social commentary, global issues began to disappear from the genre by the late 90s and early 2000s. Due to gangsta rap’s emphasis on authenticity and on the individual’s ‘realness,’ issues of social and environmental justice seem to have become increasingly inaccessible to rap music: any attempts to address wider, ‘real’ issues, if they were to happen, took the risk of appearing not ‘real’ but inauthentic, cynical capitalizations on social issues at best. This paper seeks to outline how Snoop Lion’s Reincarnated (2013) and in particular its eighth track “Smoke the Weed” employs the imagery of Reggae and Rastafarianism to reconstitute, transform, or “reincarnate” hip hop and thereby once again open it up to social and environmental commentary. While at first sight it is merely another glorification of recreational marihuana use in line with Snoop Dogg’s earlier, pre-Lion oeuvre, “Smoke the Weed” offers a highly complex critique of the environment and humans’ place and agency within it. “Smoke the Weed” can be seen to discuss, primarily through the metaphors of seeds, plant-growth, and marihuana use, the interconnection between (the necessity for) social action and (the necessity for) environmental action. Snoop harnesses the performativity of gangsta rap to offer a sincere, if never really ‘authentic,’ vision of green street consciousness. Through his clear lack of ‘realness’ as a Reggae artist, Snoop Lion can mobilize ‘naturalness’ for hip hop.

Association of Internet gaming disorder symptoms with anxiety and depressive symptoms and substance use: an international cross-sectional study

BackgroundProblematic Internet gaming is an increasingly recognized global mental health problem. This multicultural cross-sectional study examined the association between Internet gaming disorder (IGD) symptoms and anxiety and depressive symptoms and substance use within a sample of young Internet users. In total, 3529 college/university students (1260 (35.7%) males; mean age 21 ± 3 years) were surveyed online. We assessed online gaming patterns using the Internet Gaming Disorder Self-report for College/University Students (ICMH-IGD), symptoms of depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and symptoms of anxiety using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale-7.ResultsIGD symptoms were associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and substance use, independent of time spent online, psychiatric diagnosis, culture, or sociodemographic characteristics. For males, more significant IGD symptoms were associated with more extended Internet browsing per day time and higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms, while for females, with more extended Internet browsing per day time, marihuana use, and higher levels of depressive symptoms.ConclusionsOur study found that more overt symptoms of IGD were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms and substance use. Still, these associations differed among males and females, suggesting that gender differences should be considered when planning specific treatments.

Validation of the European Drug Addiction Prevention Trial Questionnaire (EU-Dap) for substance use screening and to assess risk and protective factors among early adolescents in Chile.

BackgroundSubstance use is highly prevalent among Chilean adolescents, and the damage it causes at the neurobiological, psychological, and social levels is known. However, there are no validated screening instruments that also assess risk and protective factors for this population in Chile, which is essential for evaluating future prevention interventions.ObjectiveTo determine the psychometric properties of the European Drug Addiction Prevention Trial Questionnaire (EU-Dap) questionnaire.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out in 13 schools in the city of Santiago de Chile. The sample included 2261 adolescents ranging from 10 to 14 years old. Linguistic and cultural adaptation was assessed using focus groups with adolescents, the construct validity was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis, and measures of its reliability were also determined. Furthermore, the associations regarding risk and protective factors with substance use were explored.ResultsSubstance use questions were well understood and seemed to adequately capture the consumption of different drugs. Regarding the subscales of risk and protective factors, the analyses showed that most subscales had good psychometric properties, and few needed some degree of improvement (e.g., some items were removed). After the changes, most final subscales had good or adequate goodness of fit adjustments and good or acceptable internal consistency. Finally, the main associated factors with the substance use outcomes were: future substance use and school bonding for tobacco use; negative beliefs about alcohol, future substance use, school bonding and refusal skills for alcohol use; and negative beliefs about marihuana, positive attitudes towards drugs, risk perception, and substance abuse index for marihuana use. Normative beliefs increased the risk for all substances use.ConclusionsThe current findings suggest that the EU-Dap is a valid and reliable instrument, and it may help to evaluate the effectiveness of drug use prevention interventions.

Oneiroid catatonia due to the usage of spice: The case study

IntroductionDesigner drugs, as a term, first came about in the 1980s. Most of these “designer drugs” have synthetic cannabinoids and other psychoactive formulas difficulty to detect.ObjectivesA 28 year man was referred to the hospital.MethodsCT brain and EEG were also normal.Results Among 7 days before attending the hospital the patient had a strange behaviour. He was staying like in changed reality. The day before admission he got irritable in the evening was reporting that he could hear animal’s imperative voices “we together with squirrel, dolphin visited giraffe, that someone told to jump from the window”. That symptoms were temporary after that he was shocked when realized that he was in a room. The patient has the history of marihuana use in the past 5 years, periodically. There is no evidence data about the usage of other narcotic substances. On examination he was alert, sitting on a same place looking at one point, sometimes trying to find something or suddenly standing and trying to go somewhere. He has a change of catatonic stupor and excitement. The psychomotor activity was changeable. While observing the patient during few days several times he disrobed all his clothes, staying or laying on a bed or suddenly freezing in one pose.ConclusionsTaking into account clinical symptoms, the patient developed, the conclusion was made about connection of patients’ oneiroid catatonia with the usage of “Spice” or “Designer drug”. Thus, designer drugs may sound like a safer alternative, but often can lead to serious mental disturbances.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Abstract C025: Lifestyle risk factors for oral and oropharyngeal cancers in patients attending sexually transmitted infection clinics in Puerto Rico

Abstract Introduction: Incidence of oral and oropharyngeal cancers in the United States have increased an average of 0.7% per year over the last decade. Various lifestyles increase the risk of these malignancies, including tobacco, marihuana, and alcohol use, poor oral hygiene, and a diet low in fruits and vegetables. Oral and oropharyngeal cancers are the fourth most common cancer in Puerto Rican men, a group that has shown an excess risk of death from this malignancy compared to other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. This study assessed lifestyle risk factors for oral and oropharyngeal cancers in Hispanic patients attending sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics in Puerto Rico. Methods: Data from an ongoing cross-sectional study (November 2018-present) among men and women receiving services at STI clinics in the San Juan metropolitan area of Puerto Rico was analyzed. Individuals aged 21-49 years, who are sexually active, and are HIV-negative are eligible for the study. Up to date, 72 patients have been recruited and completed all study procedures. An interviewer-administered questionnaire collects information on sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics. An oral care index was created using tooth brushing and flossing following the American Dental Association (ADA) recommendations. Results: Over half of participants (52.8%) were men, and the mean age was 32 ± 7.9 years. The majority (70.8%) of participants were single, and more than half reported having public insurance (59.7%), an annual income below $20,000 (55.6%), and having had less than 10 lifetime sexual partners (55.7%). Oral and oropharyngeal cancers’ risk factors reported by participants included current tobacco use (20.8%), recent (30 days) binge drinking (55.1%), concurrent use of tobacco and alcohol use (16.7%), current marijuana use (43.1%), and vegetable consumption at least once a day (36.1%). Regarding oral health, the majority (81.9%) of the sample did not followed recommendations about oral care by ADA and only 38.0% reported visiting their dentists every six months. Persons with lowest annual household income (&amp;lt;$20,000) had higher prevalence of smoking (80.0% vs 49.1%), and non-adherence to ADA recommendations (61.0% vs 30.8%) as compared to their counterparts (p&amp;lt;0.05). Conclusion: Given the high prevalence of modifiable risk factors for oral and oropharyngeal cancers in this population, it is crucial to improve risk factor awareness and encourage behavior change. STI clinics represent an important venue for identifying at-risk populations that might benefit from cancer prevention efforts (NIDCR Grant 1R21DE027226-01A1). Citation Format: Paola M Rosado, Filipa Godoy-Vitorino, Jose A Vivaldi, Ana P Ortiz, Jeslie M Ramos-Cartagena, Cynthia M Pérez. Lifestyle risk factors for oral and oropharyngeal cancers in patients attending sexually transmitted infection clinics in Puerto Rico [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr C025.

Abstract A36: Oral microbiota associated to periodontal disease as a risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer, in patients from sexually transmitted infection clinics in Puerto Rico

Abstract Oropharyngeal cancer is on the rise in the US, and despite advances in cancer treatments, oral cancer has a poor prognosis. Tobacco, marihuana, and alcohol use are considered risk factors for oral cancer, as well as periodontal disease (PD) and chronic inflammation, which are considered a significant increase in risk for oral cancer. An altered microbiota is linked with several oral diseases, as several pathogenic species lead to chronic inflammation, and its metabolites may induce permanent genetic alterations and epithelial carcinogenesis. We aimed to relate human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and severity of periodontal disease with the oral microbiota. This ongoing cross-sectional study is recruiting patients aged 21 to 49 from sexually transmitted infection clinics in Puerto Rico. A total of 73 patients were assessed using face-to-face interviews collect sociodemographic, behavioral, oral, and medical characteristics, along with a full-mouth periodontal examination following the NHANES protocol. Periodontitis was defined according to the Centers for Disease Control/American Academy of Periodontology (CDC/AAP) case classification. The saliva collected was used for genomic DNA extractions and 16S rRNA genes were sequenced with Illumina MiSeq. Samples were analyzed according to HPV status (4 HPV+, 69 HPV-) and periodontal disease severity (44 without PD, 14 mild PD, and 15 moderate to severe PD). Sequence data were deposited in QIITA and data analyses were done in QIIME. While 5% of study participants had oral HPV infection, 60% had no periodontitis, 19% had mild, 18% had moderate, and 3% had severe periodontitis. A total of 2.56 million reads were binned into 4,119 bacterial OTUs and 27 were archaea. We found a total of 32 phyla, no significant differences in structure nor in alpha diversity according to HPV infections nor when stratified by gender (likely due to low sample number), BMI, tobacco, or marijuana use. Significant higher alpha diversity was found in periodontitis patients. Those with severe periodontitis had increased amounts of Verrucomicrobia and Firmicutes. Akkermansia had higher abundance in patients with mild periodontitis while Veilonella was more abundant in those with severe periodontitis. Although more patients are needed, our preliminary data seem to indicate that oral microbiota dysbiosis is associated with periodontal disease, suggesting a possible role in oral cancer development. Citation Format: Filipa Godoy-Vitorino, Cynthia Perez, Kimil Acosta, Brayan Vilanova, Jeslie Ramos-Cartagena, Jose Vivaldi, Ana P. Ortiz. Oral microbiota associated to periodontal disease as a risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer, in patients from sexually transmitted infection clinics in Puerto Rico [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Microbiome, Viruses, and Cancer; 2020 Feb 21-24; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(8 Suppl):Abstract nr A36.

Marihuana: legalización y atención médica

Despite the fact that the use of marihuana is illegal in most countries of the world, it still is one of the most commonly used drugs worldwide. 8.6% of the Mexican population, between 12-65 years old, has smoked marihuana at least once in their lifetime (2017). There has been a significant increase in the number of consumers in the last few years. Fatal cases associated with cannabis use had not been recognized for a long time, however, lately, deaths due to a cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) and deaths from self-mutilation have been reported. Although marihuana synthesizes several active substances with potential therapeutic properties, nowadays, the greatest use of marihuana in our country and in the world is recreational. This review discusses the consequences of using marihuana for recreational use, the social and health contexts regarding legalization and potential therapeutic uses of compounds isolated from the plant based on the scientific literature. Our contribution is to warn people about the potential negative impact on the health of recreational use marihuana and the urgency of supporting the research of its effects on the brain. Similarly, we aim to identify the active principles with potential therapeutic use.

Changes in Connectivity between Caudate and Frontal Lobe in Patient with Psychosis Induced for Cannabis - Case Report

The use of marihuana is becoming more frequent in young people, the association between psychosis and cannabis has been described, especially in young people, we present a clinical case of psychosis associated with cannabis in a young man with normal Brain Magnetic resonance, but abnormalities in tractography mainly in the connectivity between cuadate nucleus and frontal lobe.

Scientific evidence on therapeutic marihuana use in individuals treated in Health Care Services

The aim of this integrative review was to “identify, synthesize and evaluate the scientific evidence available on therapeutic marihuana use in those treated in health care services”. The articles analyzed were selected from the following databases LILACS, CINAHL and MEDLINE and using tools such as WOS (Web of Science) and SCOPUS. After a broad search in Spanish, Portuguese and English, a total of ninety article were identified. The final selection consisted of six articles, four of which were primary articles and the other two were case studies. The analysis found that there are gaps in the evidence on the therapeutic effects of cannabis. Some positive effects are suggested, potentially useful in some cases, but probable adverse effects were also reported, it being therefore recommended that use of marihuana and marihuana-based products be weighed up depending on the pathologies present in the individual.

Cannabis-induced disorders

Use and misuse of cannabis and marihuana are frequent. About 5% of the adult population are current users but only 1.2% are dependent. The medical use of cannabis is controversial but there is some evidence for improvement of chronic pain and spasticity. The somatic toxicity of cannabis is well proven but limited and psychiatric disorders induced by cannabis are of more relevance, e.g. cognitive disorders, amotivational syndrome, psychoses and delusional disorders as well as physical and psychological dependence. The withdrawal symptoms are usually mild and do not require pharmacological interventions. To date there is no established pharmacotherapy for relapse prevention. Psychosocial interventions include psychoeducation, behavioral therapy and motivational enhancement. The CANDIS protocol is the best established German intervention among abstinence-oriented therapies.

Strain Differences in Cannabinoid-Reinforced Lever Press Discrimination

Background. The Lewis (LEW) and Fischer 344 (F344) rat strains have been typically used to study certain genetic influences on drug use. There are important differences between these strains in terms of the self-administration of several drugs and in several neurochemical messengers including the endocannabinoid system. Purpose. To investigate whether these two strains exhibit differences in the self-administration of the cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,512-2. Results. Stable WIN 55,512-2 self-administration behavior was not achieved by either strain, but both exhibited some degree of active/inactive lever discrimination, with LEW rats showing better performance in this index. Injection of the CB1 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist AM251 decreased active lever pressing in F344 rats. During extinction, we observed a nonsignificant increase in lever pressing, which subsequently disappeared. Conclusion. Our results point to subtle genetic influences in the sensitivity to cannabinoid reward that may contribute to interindividual differences in marihuana use and abuse in humans.

Smoke ‘N Mirrors: Is Medical Marihuana All That It’s Cracked Up to Be?

The Canadian government enacted Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) in 2013 to control production, distribution and use of Medical Marihuana (MM). This allows seriously ill people, such as cancer patients, legal access to marihuana for medical reasons. MM use may alleviate certain side effects associated with cancer, thus improving quality of life. However, it is not without controversy. Marijuana is not a form of tobacco since it originates from the cannabis plant. But methods of use of marihuana and other forms of cannabis mean that they have similar risks to tobacco products. Since its legalization, more questions are being raised about the harms and benefits of MM for cancer patients. Under the Ontario Cancer Plan, all Regional Cancer Centres have developed smoking cessation programs which screen patients for their smoking status. Additionally most Ontario hospitals have implemented smoke free grounds policies. Many cancer centres have begun developing policies to guide the use of MM for outpatients and inpatients and some healthcare professional colleges (eg nurses, pharmacists) have developed policy statements for MM. People with cancer may use MM to help manage symptoms and side effects. There are a few methods to administer MM including smoking. However, smoking marihuana over a long period of time may increase the risk of head, neck and lung cancers. MM could be a gateway to use of additional drugs and MM has its own side effects. Healthcare practitioners may have biases regarding the use of MM. The impact of MM on cancer patients is unclear. However, with increased accessibility to MM, more healthcare practitioners are being asked about MM and cancer patients may need to weigh the harms against the benefits to decide whether it is best for them. Best practice for smoking cessation needs to be considered and MM use in oncology should have guidelines developed on its distribution and use.

The harm caused by marihuana use disorders is interrelated in some european countries to the harm caused by new psychoactive substances

An example of such difficulties may be the action taken against the mysterious wave of poisonings, reported in Poland in July 2015 [3]. The additions to the lists of illegal substances (like Schedule I) of new determined derivates are not an efficient amendments of the preventing law. The NPS are distributed often as bath salts, household chemicals or industrial chemicals, and are labeled with warnings “not for human consumption” [2]. Experiences gained from dealing with such a massive wave of poisonings incline to develop new concepts of the legislation that would prohibit selling of all sorts of “chemicals” with the “inappropriate intention” and suggestion for the possibility to use them as drugs. Justification of such accusations for “inappropriate intention of sale” would be similar to conjectural prosecution (circumstancial evidences) [4].

P-26EEFECT OF AGE OF DRINKING ONSET ON PATTERNS OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, MARIHUANA, STIMULANTS AND HALLUCINOGENS USE, DURING YOUNG ADULTHOOD

The age of alcohol drinking onset (DO) is a vulnerability factor for alcohol-related problems, including alcohol abuse and dependence. Less is known on the effects of an early DO on subsequent use of illegal substances. This study analyzed the impact of DO on current patterns of alcohol, tobacco, marihuana, stimulants and hallucinogens use. Participants (n …

Comparison of sentenced inmates’ drug use patterns before and during incarceration

Comparison of sentenced inmates’ drug use patterns before and during incarceration

Sex practices and knowledge about HIV/AIDS among drug users in a low-income urban community of Costa Rica

HIV/AIDS transmission among drug users is associated with education, sex practices and substance use. This study examined 159 drugs users’ knowledge, beliefs and sex behavior related to HIV/AIDS risk in Costa Rica. Results showed considerable use of marihuana, alcohol, crack and cocaine and a very low lifetime incidence of other drugs. All substance use patterns were higher than national averages. Respondents showed a high level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention. However, there did not seem to be a relationship between knowledge and practice. Unprotected sex was common and having an HIV/AIDS test was not a regular practice. Knowledge about HIV/AIDS is not a determinant factor for condom use among this group. It is concluded that having the proper knowledge about transmission and prevention does not guarantee safe sex practices. Further research and public health evidence based practices for HIV/AIDS prevention should target drug user population