Medical marijuana patients under 50 face a twist: their prescribed cannabis may be more likely to trigger addiction than recreational use, according to a recent study.
In a nationwide survey of nearly 73,000 adults, researchers found that people who have been prescribed cannabis for medical reasons had a higher risk of developing cannabis use disorder (CUD).
Prescribed Cannabis and Increased Use
The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, analyzed data from the 2021–2022 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, which collected information on cannabis usage, frequency, and addiction severity.
George Citroner
Author
George Citroner reports on health and medicine, covering topics that include cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions. He was awarded the Media Orthopaedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) award in 2020 for a story on osteoporosis risk in men.
