Significant changes have taken place in the policy landscape surrounding cannabis legalization, production, and use. During the past 20 years, 25 states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis and/or cannabidiol (a component of cannabis) for medical conditions or retail sales at the state level and 4 states have legalized both the medical and recreational use of cannabis. These landmark changes in policy have impacted cannabis use patterns and perceived levels of risk. However, despite this changing landscape, evidence regarding the short- and long-term health effects of cannabis use remains elusive. While a myriad of studies have examined cannabis use in all its various forms, often these research conclusions are not appropriately synthesized, translated for, or communicated to policy makers, health care providers, state health officials, or other stakeholders who have been charged with influencing and enacting policies, procedures, and laws related to cannabis use. Unlike other controlled substances such as alcohol or tobacco, no accepted standards for safe use or appropriate dose are available to help guide individuals as they make choices regarding the issues of if, when, where, and how to use cannabis safely and, in regard to therapeutic uses, effectively. Shifting public sentiment, conflicting and impeded scientific research, and legislative battles have fueled the debate about what, if any, harms or benefits can be attributed to the use of cannabis or its derivatives, and this lack of aggregated knowledge has broad public health implications. The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids provides a comprehensive review of scientific evidence related to the health effects and potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis. This report provides a research agendaâ€"outlining gaps in current knowledge and opportunities for providing additional insight into these issuesâ€"that summarizes and prioritizes pressing research needs.

This book is an unbiased scientific compendium documenting the state-of-the-art in the etiology, diagnosis and treatment of Cannabis Use Disorders (CUD). Unlike any other current medical text, this volume focuses on the scientific aspects of CUDs and provides a resource for researchers, physicians and other health care providers who treat patients suffering from the disorder or its consequences. It begins by establishing the landscape of the disorder, including its prevalence, association with disabilities and comorbidities, and frequency of patients seeking treatment. The text delves into the complexity of the disorder in today’s environment by including the discoveries on the nature and extent of the endocannabinoid system as well as potential breakthroughs in safe and effective pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments. Experts in the field contribute discussions on the most cutting-edge diagnostic and biological topics, including genetics, medical consequences, and clinical manifestations. The text also covers the challenges and risks presented by external factors, including social repercussions, protective factors, psychiatric comorbidities, withdrawal, and treatment services. Cannabis Use Disorders is a vital resource for researchers, psychiatrists, psychologists, addiction medicine specialists, toxicologists, hospital administrators, nurses, social workers, and all health care professionals working with patients who misuse cannabis.

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. A growing number of Americans now perceive marijuana as relatively harmless and the notion that the drug should be legalized it is becoming increasingly popular. As policy in this area remains dynamic, resulting health issues, including the harm to adolescents and the potential for compounds to have therapeutic value, become more salient. Contemporary Health Issues on Marijuana is a balanced, empirically driven volume that highlights new and meaningful theory and evidence pertaining to marijuana use. Authored by a multidisciplinary group of experts from the fields of psychology, epidemiology, medicine, and criminal justice, chapters comprehensively review numerous research domains of public health interest with respect to marijuana use, including the drug's impact on cognitive and neurological functioning, its medical effects, treatment approaches for cannabis use disorders, the effects of marijuana smoking on lung function, and marijuana-impaired driving. The book concludes with a chapter on policy implications, taking stock of current trends and anticipating prevalence rates and resulting health consequences that will only continue to grow. Contemporary Health Issues on Marijuana is a resource of great clinical, scientific, and public policy value that will be a must-have for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers alike.

The medical use of marijuana is surrounded by a cloud of social, political, and religious controversy, which obscures the facts that should be considered in the debate. This book summarizes what we know about marijuana from evidence-based medicineâ€"the harm it may do and the relief it may bring to patients. The book helps the reader understand not only what science has to say about medical marijuana but also the logic behind the scientific conclusions. Marijuana and Medicine addresses the science base and the therapeutic effects of marijuana use for medical conditions such as glaucoma and multiple sclerosis. It covers marijuana's mechanism of action, acute and chronic effects on health and behavior, potential adverse effects, efficacy of different delivery systems, analysis of the data about marijuana as a gateway drug, and the prospects for developing cannabinoid drugs. The book evaluates how well marijuana meets accepted standards for medicine and considers the conclusions of other blue-ribbon panels. Full of useful facts, this volume will be important to anyone interested in informed debate about the medical use of marijuana: advocates and opponents as well as policymakers, regulators, and health care providers.

The Complex Connections between Cannabis and Schizophrenia provides an in-depth overview of the current state of research into the role that cannabis plays in schizophrenia, covering both the pathophysiological and the pharmacological implications. It addresses the epidemiology of cannabis use and the risks associated with its use, the biological aspects of the drug, its effects on the brain and the pharmacological possibilities of using cannabidiol to treat schizophrenia. It is the only book on the market devoted exclusively to examining the links between this very commonly used (and misused) drug and a specific set of devastating psychiatric illnesses, providing a comprehensive guide to our current understandings of this relationship. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug globally, and is becoming increasingly decriminalized and even legalized worldwide. Among the numerous mental-health concerns related to the drug, there is mounting evidence of an intricate link between cannabis use and schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. At the same time, there is promising evidence to suggest that cannabidiol, one of the many compounds found in cannabis that activates the brain’s cannabinoid receptors, could prove to be an effective antipsychotic to treat schizophrenia. Synthesizes existing knowledge about the confusing, but crucial, relationship between cannabis use and schizophrenia symptoms Provides a comprehensive overview of the neurobiological mechanisms of cannabis use and its effects on the brain, including an exploration of the endocannabinoid system Examines the promising evidence suggesting cannabidiol as an effective antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia Aids readers studying the neurobiological underpinning of cannabis addiction and psychosis in determining directions for their own future research

This manual for Brief Marijuana Dependence Counseling (BMDC) is based on the research protocol used by counselors in MTP. The manual provides guidelines for counselors, social workers, and psychologists in both public and private settings who treat adults dependent on marijuana. The 10 weekly one-on-one sessions in the BMDC manual offer examples of how a counselor can help a client understand certain topics, keep his or her determination to change, learn new skills, and access needed community supports (exhibit I-1). Stephens and colleagues (2002) describe the MTP rationale, design, and participant characteristics. Findings from MTP are presented in supplemental reading B of section VII.

This book provides an accessible, up-to-date understanding of how to treat patients with substance and non-substance-related addiction. It covers all the typical substance and non-substance use disorders and presents evidence in a case-based format. Concise and comprehensive, opening chapters relay a preliminary assessment of addiction disorders and their neurobiology. Subsequent chapters then offer specific treatment options, challenges, and cases relating to the abuse of distinct substances. The substances mentioned earlier include alcohol, opioids, stimulants, hallucinogens, and sedatives. Additionally, one chapter covers the unique issues associated with treating behavioral addictions, such as sex and gambling. Each chapter will outline cases in a fashion that will optimize the reader's experience. In closing, the book examines co-occurring substance use disorders and mental illness. An invaluable addition to the Psychiatry Update Series, Addiction Medicine is an essential reference for mental health clinicians, as well as primary care and family medicine clinicians.