Medically Recommended vs Nonmedical Cannabis Use Among US Adults

With increases in cannabis use for medical purposes and its perceived benefits,1,2 patients and clinicians need to be aware of its potential risks. Studies of local data have documented that patients often use cannabis on a daily or near-daily basis to manage their conditions.1,2 Frequent cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) are associated with increased risk for negative health (eg, psychoses, hyperemesis) and academic and social outcomes.3,4 This cross-sectional study examined differences in cannabis use frequency and CUD prevalence for medical-only (ie, all cannabis use recommended by health care professionals) and medical-nonmedical vs nonmedical-only use among US adults aged 18 to 49 years, the age range with the highest prevalence of cannabis use.5