The use of cannabis is increasing, with daily use becoming more common. While many consider cannabis to be minimally harmful, 30% of people who use daily develop a cannabis use disorder (CUD). CUD is a chronic medical disorder associated with negative respiratory, mental health, and school/work consequences.
Despite its increased prevalence, less than 5% of people with CUD initiate and engage in CUD-focused care, which highlights the significant treatment gap for this chronic condition.
Lara Coughlin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, U-M Addiction Center
In this article published in Addictive Behaviors, lead author Lara Coughlin, Ph.D., and co-authors Lewei Allison Lin, M.D., and Erin Bonar, Ph.D., discuss several barriers to CUD care and provide a set of recommendations, including a call to action to address this growing problem.
"We currently have a chance to meet the increasing need for cannabis use disorder care through engaging, destigmatizing, and highly accessible models of care to reduce harms and improve health for those who are experiencing consequences from use.” - Lara Coughlin, Ph.D.
Source: Coughlin, L. N., Lin, L. A., & Bonar, E. E. (2023). An agenda for research to transform care for cannabis use disorder. Addictive Behaviors.
