VA Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource and Evaluation Center (SMITREC), Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
Drug Alcohol Depend. 2013 Oct 1;132(3):654-9. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.04.019. Epub 2013 May 15.
Very little is known about medical marijuana users. The present study provides descriptive information on adults seeking medical marijuana and compares individuals seeking medical marijuana for the first time with those renewing their medical marijuana card on measures of substance use, pain and functioning.
Research staff approached patients (n=348) in the waiting area of a medical marijuana certification clinic. Chi-square and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to compare participants who reported that they were seeking medical marijuana for the first time (n=195) and those who were seeking to renew their access to medical marijuana (n=153).
Returning medical marijuana patients reported a higher prevalence of lifetime cocaine, amphetamine, inhalant and hallucinogen use than first time patients. Rates of recent alcohol misuse and drug use were relatively similar between first time patients and returning patients with the exception of nonmedical use of prescription sedatives and marijuana use. Nonmedical prescription sedative use was more common among first time visitors compared to those seeking renewal (p<0.05). The frequency of recent marijuana use was higher in returning patients than first time patients (p<0.0001). Compared to first time patients, returning patients reported somewhat lower current pain level and slightly higher mental health and physical functioning.
Study results indicate that differences exist between first time and returning medical marijuana patients. Longitudinal data are needed to characterize trajectories of substance use and functioning in these two groups.
关于医用大麻使用者，我们知之甚少。本研究提供了正在寻求医用大麻的成年人的描述性信息，并将首次寻求医用大麻和续签医用大麻卡的个体在物质使用、疼痛和功能方面进行了比较。
研究人员在一家医用大麻认证诊所的候诊室接近患者（n=348）。使用卡方检验和 Wilcoxon 符号秩检验比较了报告首次寻求医用大麻（n=195）和续签医用大麻的参与者（n=153）。
再次寻求医用大麻的患者报告称，他们一生中使用可卡因、苯丙胺、吸入剂和致幻剂的比例高于首次寻求医用大麻的患者。首次就诊患者和再次就诊患者最近的酒精滥用和药物使用率相当相似，但非医疗用途的处方镇静剂和大麻使用除外。与寻求续签的患者相比，首次就诊患者中更常见非医疗用途的处方镇静剂（p<0.05）。与首次就诊患者相比，再次就诊患者近期大麻使用的频率更高（p<0.0001）。与首次就诊患者相比，再次就诊患者报告的当前疼痛水平略低，心理健康和身体功能略高。
研究结果表明，首次和再次寻求医用大麻的患者之间存在差异。需要进行纵向研究，以描述这两组患者的物质使用和功能轨迹。
