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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Are Cannabis Use Problems Comparable Across Individuals Using for Recreational and Medical Purposes?
T2 - An International Cross-Sectional Study of Individuals Who Use Self-Grown Cannabis
AU - Sznitman, Sharon
AU - Potter, Gary
AU - Grigg, Jodie
AU - Granville, Ashely
AU - Hakkarainen, Pekka
AU - Decorte, Tom
AU - Lenton, Simon
AU - Fortin, Davide
AU - Bear, Daniel
AU - Kirtadze, Irma
AU - Jauffret-Roustide, Marie
AU - Barratt, Monica
AU - Sevigny, Eric
PY - 2023/12/11
Y1 - 2023/12/11
N2 - Background: Little is known about cannabis use problems among individuals who use cannabis for medical purposes and whether rates and determinants of cannabis use problems in medical users differ to those observed among individuals using for recreational reasons. This study examines whether Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) scores differ across individuals who use self-grown cannabis for the following reasons: “recreational only”, “medical and recreational” and “medical only”.Furthermore, the study tests whether cannabis use frequency, cannabis strain, and type of cannabis influences the strength of the association between purpose of use and cannabis use problems.Methods: Data (n = 5,347) were collected from a subsample of the Global Cannabis Cultivation Research Consortium project, focusing on small-scale cannabis growers in 18 countries. Robust regressions analyzed differences in SDS scores across the threeuse motivation groups.Results: Compared with respondents reporting only recreational motivations of cannabis use, those with medical (with and without recreational) motivations were associated with lower SDS scores (B: -0.190 and B: -0.459, p < 0.001 respectively).Daily use was associated with significantly higher SDS scores across all cannabis motivation groups, albeit the magnitude of the association was significantly smaller among individuals with medical motivations of use.Conclusion: The extent to which people experience cannabis use problems, and the determinants of these problems may differ depending on whether cannabis use is motivated by recreational or medical purposes. As such, the findings of the current study suggest that public education efforts, harm reduction approaches and policy responses should be tailored depending on whether cannabis is used for recreational or medical purposes.
AB - Background: Little is known about cannabis use problems among individuals who use cannabis for medical purposes and whether rates and determinants of cannabis use problems in medical users differ to those observed among individuals using for recreational reasons. This study examines whether Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) scores differ across individuals who use self-grown cannabis for the following reasons: “recreational only”, “medical and recreational” and “medical only”.Furthermore, the study tests whether cannabis use frequency, cannabis strain, and type of cannabis influences the strength of the association between purpose of use and cannabis use problems.Methods: Data (n = 5,347) were collected from a subsample of the Global Cannabis Cultivation Research Consortium project, focusing on small-scale cannabis growers in 18 countries. Robust regressions analyzed differences in SDS scores across the threeuse motivation groups.Results: Compared with respondents reporting only recreational motivations of cannabis use, those with medical (with and without recreational) motivations were associated with lower SDS scores (B: -0.190 and B: -0.459, p < 0.001 respectively).Daily use was associated with significantly higher SDS scores across all cannabis motivation groups, albeit the magnitude of the association was significantly smaller among individuals with medical motivations of use.Conclusion: The extent to which people experience cannabis use problems, and the determinants of these problems may differ depending on whether cannabis use is motivated by recreational or medical purposes. As such, the findings of the current study suggest that public education efforts, harm reduction approaches and policy responses should be tailored depending on whether cannabis is used for recreational or medical purposes.
U2 - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104263
DO - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104263
M3 - Journal article
JO - International Journal of Drug Policy
JF - International Journal of Drug Policy
SN - 0955-3959
M1 - 104263
ER -