marijuana Archives

The Authors’ Own Words: Lifetime Marijuana and Alcohol Use, and Cognitive Dysfunction in People with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Dec 12, 2019 by AMERSA

The Authors’ Own Words:

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Lifetime Marijuana and Alcohol Use, and Cognitive Dysfunction in People with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Sara A. Lorkiewicz, MS; Alicia S. Ventura, MPH; Timothy C. Heeren, PhD; Michael R. Winter, MPH; Alexander Y. Walley, MD, MSc; Meg Sullivan, MD; Jeffrey H. Samet, MD, MA, MPH; & Richard Saitz, MD, MPH

Substance Abuse Vol. 39, Iss. 1, 2018

“Alcohol and other drug use are common among people with HIV infection. HIV can be neurotoxic, alcohol is a known neurotoxin and marijuana can alter brain metabolism and affect neuronal networks. In this study, although effects of alcohol use were not detected, current marijuana use was associated with cognitive dysfunction. The association is particularly important because people with HIV infection may already be susceptible to cognitive dysfunction, and such dysfunction could interfere with their self-care and quality of life.”

The Authors’ Own Words: Alcohol, Marijuana, and Opioid Use Disorders: 5-Year Patterns and Characteristics of Emergency Department Encounters

Dec 8, 2019 by AMERSA

The Authors’ Own Words:

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Alcohol, Marijuana, and Opioid Use Disorders: 5-Year Patterns and Characteristics of Emergency Department Encounters

Amber L. Bahorik, PhD; Derek D. Satre, PhD; Andrea H. Kline-Simon, MS; Constance M. Weisner, DrPH, MSW; Kelly C. Young-Wolff, PhD, MPH; & Cynthia I. Campbell, PhD

Substance Abuse Vol. 39, Iss. 1, 2018

“Our study highlights that emergency department (ED) settings offer critical opportunities for clinicians to identify and intervene on patients with alcohol, marijuana, and opioid use disorders to initiate treatment, with those who have opioid use disorders having the highest ED use and potentially the greatest treatment needs. Devoting more health resources to providing training for initiating ED-based treatments for patients who have opioid use disorders in heath-systems, such as ED-initiated buprenorphine and referral to substance use disorder treatment, may be a step toward improving health outcomes and reducing ED visits in this population.”

The Authors’ Own Words: Operating a motor vehicle after marijuana use: Perspectives from people who use high potency marijuana

Dec 5, 2019 by AMERSA

The Authors’ Own Words:

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Operating a motor vehicle after marijuana use: Perspectives from people who use high potency marijuana

Patricia A. Cavazos-Rehg, PhD; Melissa J. Krauss, MPH; Shaina J. Sowles, MPH; Kidist Zewdie, MPH; & Laura Bierut, MD

Substance Abuse Vol. 39, Iss. 1, 2018

“The movement towards marijuana legalization in the United States signals a need for public health policy development, specifically on driving following use. The present study provides novel insight into the perception of driving after marijuana use from individuals who use extracts (a highly potent form of marijuana). Results indicate that driving following marijuana use is relatively common, and risk-level was often perceived as dependent upon one’s tolerance to marijuana. Prevention messages outlining the potential consequences of driving under the influence of marijuana may be especially critical for individuals who engage in this behavior and do not believe that adverse outcomes could result.”

The Authors’ Own Words: Drug helplines and adult users of marijuana: an assessment in Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska

Dec 3, 2019 by AMERSA

The Authors’ Own Words:

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Drug helplines and adult users of marijuana: an assessment in Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska

Beatriz H. Carlini, PhD, MPH; & Sharon B. Garrett, MPH, MA

Substance Abuse Vol. 39, Iss. 1, 2018

“Our findings suggests that drug helplines are not fully prepared to provide accurate information to people interested in cutting back their use of marijuana. This has public health implications as our study was conducted in states that recently legalized marijuana and drug helplines are often the first resource accessed by people interested in changing their substance use. Our work identifies the need of improving helpline staff skills and knowledge, and provides a map of some weaknesses and strengths in this area that can be used in quality improvement and training initiatives.”

The Authors’ Own Words: Marijuana Use and Mortality following Orthopedic Surgical Procedures

Dec 1, 2019 by AMERSA

The Authors’ Own Words:

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Marijuana Use and Mortality following Orthopedic Surgical Procedures

Andrew S. Moon, BS; Walter Smith, BS; Sawyer Mullen, BS; Brent A. Ponce, MD; Gerald McGwin, PhD; Ashish Shah, MD; & Sameer M. Naranje, MD, MRCS

Substance Abuse Vol. 40, Iss. 3, 2019

“Despite a growing body of literature on the health implications of marijuana use, no studies to date have assessed the effects of marijuana use in patients undergoing common inpatient orthopedic procedures. The present study was intended to help fill this gap in the literature, focusing on the relationship between marijuana use and mortality, as well as comorbidities in patients undergoing common orthopedic surgeries using a national database. This analysis identified that marijuana use was associated with decreased in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing total hip and knee arthroplasty, shoulder arthroplasty, and traumatic femur fixation. Also identified was a positive association between marijuana use and cardiac disease in patients undergoing total hip and knee arthroplasty and spinal fusion, though a negative association was observed among trauma traumatic femur fixation patients. Regarding stroke, a positive association was observed among patients undergoing total hip and knee arthroplasty, shoulder arthroplasty, and spinal fusion. Finally, for heart failure, there was a positive association for total hip and knee arthroplasty but a negative association for trauma traumatic femur fixation patients. These results should be interpreted in light of the lack of precision observed for many of the associations owing to the relatively small number of reported marijuana users. If validated, given current trends towards increasing legalization and usage of marijuana, the results of this study have significant implications and health care providers should be aware of the potential health associations of marijuana use in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgical procedures.”