Medical Cannabis: Heightened Withdrawal Symptoms
Both medical and recreational use of cannabis, or marijuana, have seen an increase in popularity due to the legalization of medical marijuanna in multiple US states. However, although doctors have been prescribing medical cannabis to patients, some of the effects of using it are not widely known. A study conducted by a group of researchers at the University of Michigan has provided new insights on the withdrawal symptoms of medical cannabis being used for pain control.
The researchers recruited participants reporting chronic or severe pain from three Michigan medical cannabis clinic waiting rooms, resulting in 527 final participants. At the time of recruitment, participants were considered to be at their baseline level of tolerance; this acted as the control variable in the study. The participants completed a survey which asked them to rate their chronic pain on a scale of 1–10 at the start of the study, or the baseline point. At baseline, 12 months later, and 24 months later, the participants completed a measure called the Marijuanna Withdrawal Checklist-revised (MWC-R). This data was analyzed to determine the results of the study. Participants were also required to report their methods of consuming cannabis between each checkpoint.
When the study was completed, researchers used techniques called latent class analysis (LCA) and latent transition analysis (LTA) to investigate the results. LCA was used to analyze withdrawal symptoms at the baseline checkpoint, and LTA was used to analyze withdrawal symptoms over time. Researchers categorized participants based on withdrawal symptoms into 3 classes: mild, moderate, and severe. “Severe” participants were typically younger participants with better physical health than mental health, frequently used cannabis in larger amounts, and had been using cannabis for longer compared to other participants. After using LTA, researchers found that participants transitioning to different categories was rare, but transitioning to less severe categories was more common than transitioning to more severe categories. In other words, if participants did move from one category to another, it was more likely that they experienced less symptoms rather than more over time. Amongst all three categories, participants with mild withdrawal symptoms were least likely to transition to more severe categories. To sum, participants were less likely to experience greater withdrawal symptoms if they did experience changes in withdrawal symptoms.
The researchers recruited participants reporting chronic or severe pain from three Michigan medical cannabis clinic waiting rooms, resulting in 527 final participants. At the time of recruitment, participants were considered to be at their baseline level of tolerance; this acted as the control variable in the study. The participants completed a survey which asked them to rate their chronic pain on a scale of 1–10 at the start of the study, or the baseline point. At baseline, 12 months later, and 24 months later, the participants completed a measure called the Marijuanna Withdrawal Checklist-revised (MWC-R). This data was analyzed to determine the results of the study. Participants were also required to report their methods of consuming cannabis between each checkpoint.
When the study was completed, researchers used techniques called latent class analysis (LCA) and latent transition analysis (LTA) to investigate the results. LCA was used to analyze withdrawal symptoms at the baseline checkpoint, and LTA was used to analyze withdrawal symptoms over time. Researchers categorized participants based on withdrawal symptoms into 3 classes: mild, moderate, and severe. “Severe” participants were typically younger participants with better physical health than mental health, frequently used cannabis in larger amounts, and had been using cannabis for longer compared to other participants. After using LTA, researchers found that participants transitioning to different categories was rare, but transitioning to less severe categories was more common than transitioning to more severe categories. In other words, if participants did move from one category to another, it was more likely that they experienced less symptoms rather than more over time. Amongst all three categories, participants with mild withdrawal symptoms were least likely to transition to more severe categories. To sum, participants were less likely to experience greater withdrawal symptoms if they did experience changes in withdrawal symptoms.
Researchers investigated the withdrawal symptoms of medical cannabis usage over 24 months.
Image Source: Ryan Lange
The study had a few notable limitations. All participants completed surveys that were primarily self-reported and thus the responses may have been inaccurate or dishonest. A more reliable method would be one that utilizes a common set of criteria to objectively determine the withdrawal symptoms of participants. Additionally, the study’s findings may not apply to recreational use of cannabis—the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) levels of recreational cannabis can differ from those in medical cannabis. Participants were recruited in 2014 and 2015 and since then, there have been changes regarding the legalization, and thus changes in usage, of medical cannabis. The study also only focused on using medical cannabis to treat chronic pain, and did not investigate how withdrawal symptoms may vary with different diseases.
Despite the multiple limitations, the study’s impact remains the same—extensive research on medical cannabis needs to be conducted. Longitudinal studies like this one are important for understanding long-term effects of cannabis use and may influence a patient’s decision to use it. Patients should be well-informed of the risks of using medical cannabis, especially if they are younger and may experience withdrawal symptoms later on in life. Overall, while the legalization of medical cannabis has helped many people with medical issues such as pain, more research should be conducted in order to truly understand the long-term effects of medical cannabis.
Despite the multiple limitations, the study’s impact remains the same—extensive research on medical cannabis needs to be conducted. Longitudinal studies like this one are important for understanding long-term effects of cannabis use and may influence a patient’s decision to use it. Patients should be well-informed of the risks of using medical cannabis, especially if they are younger and may experience withdrawal symptoms later on in life. Overall, while the legalization of medical cannabis has helped many people with medical issues such as pain, more research should be conducted in order to truly understand the long-term effects of medical cannabis.
Featured Image Source: Add Weed
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