How much cannabis use puts someone at risk of becoming dependent?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-07-22 11:46

Australia; New Zealand; International

PHOTO: Thought Catalog/Unsplash

Using cannabis everyday is linked to 17 times the risk of developing cannabis use disorder (CUD) compared to no use, according to a new analysis of six studies mostly from Australia and New Zealand. CUD is defined by certain criteria like continuing to use cannabis despite significant impairment in one's functioning, and withdrawal symptoms when someone stops (or really slows down) their use. The results of this analysis showed that there is no level of cannabis use that is not associated with a risk of CUD, but that this link was especially strong with very frequent use. The research team says this information should inform public health-oriented prevention and education messaging on cannabis use.

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Research Elsevier, Web page

Journal/
conference: Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University of Auckland, The University of Queensland, Simon Fraser University, Canada; McMaster University, Canada; Kings College London, UK; University of Montreal, Canada; Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Funder: Health Canada. The authors make the following declarations of relevant financial activities outside of the submitted work: BF has held research grants and contracts in the areas of substance use, health and policy from public funding and government (i.e., public-only) organizations in the past three years. DJA has received investigational products (last in 2018) from Insys Therapeutics for a clinical trial funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). In the last 36 months he has received grants/contracts funding for substance use-related research from public and governmental agencies and has expert-consulted on related issues with public/government agencies.

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