Now that so many states have made marijuana legal for medical or recreational use, a lot of Americans are using it. New research from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) reveals that one in six adult primary care patients use cannabis. And it turns out, most of them say they’re using it to manage a medical symptom or condition, even the recreational users.
UCLA Health is one of just a few healthcare systems that ask patients to fill out a voluntary cannabis use assessment as part of the pre-visit process for primary care patients.
- Around 176-thousand patients completed the survey, including nearly 30-thousand (17%) who said they use cannabis.
- Of those users, 40% had consumed weed once or twice during the previous three months, 17% used it monthly, a quarter (25%) used it every week, and 19% used it daily or almost every day.
- Nearly half (47%) say they use cannabis medicinally, but most patients who use it recreationally also use it to manage a symptom or health condition.
- About a third (35%) of those who use it report consuming levels that put them at moderate or high risk of cannabis use disorder.
- Researchers say their findings show a need for routine cannabis screenings of primary care patients.
“Patients may not tell their primary care providers about their cannabis use, and their doctors may not ask about it,” explains lead author Dr. Lillian Gelberg, professor of family medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “Not asking patients about their cannabis use results in a missed opportunity for opening up doctor-patient communication regarding use of cannabis generally and for management of their symptoms.”
Source: High Times