Home > Cannabis use reported by patients receiving primary care in a large health system.

Gelberg, Lillian and Beck, Dana and Koerber, Julia and Akabike, Whitney N and Dardick, Lawrence and Lin, Clara and Shoptaw, Steve and Javanbakht, Marjan (2024) Cannabis use reported by patients receiving primary care in a large health system. JAMA Network Open, 7, (6), e2414809. 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.14809.

External website: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/f...

Importance: Despite the changing legal status of cannabis and the potential impact on health, few health systems routinely screen for cannabis use, and data on the epidemiology of cannabis use, and especially medical cannabis use among primary care patients, are limited.

Question: What is the prevalence of past 3-month cannabis use, and what are the reasons for use among patients in a large health system?

Findings: In this cross-sectional study of 175 734 patients, 17.0% reported cannabis use, among whom 34.7% had results indicative of moderate to high risk for cannabis use disorder. While most patients (76.1%) reported using cannabis to manage a health symptom, very few patients identified as medical cannabis users.

Meaning: Given the high rates of cannabis use, especially for symptom management, and the high levels of disordered use, it is essential that health care systems implement routine screening of primary care patients.


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