SAMHSA has issued a new advisory: Addressing Cannabis Use Disorder in Primary Care Settings—A Lifespan Approach.
This advisory is intended for healthcare providers, including pediatricians, adolescent medicine specialists, primary care providers, and geriatricians.
Highlights of the Advisory:
- Addresses cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) across the lifespan, including adolescence (ages 12 to 17), young adulthood (ages 18 to 25), middle adulthood (ages 26 to 64), late adulthood (age 65 years and older), and during pregnancy.
- Discusses CUD screening, patient education, referral to evidence-based treatments if needed, and current screening and treatment gaps.
- Differentiates the effects of psychoactive and nonpsychoactive cannabinoids and outlines potential short- and long-term harms of cannabis use.
- Identifies comorbid psychiatric disorders, including cannabis-induced psychosis.