Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/SH6daqtuf0c   More than one in every 10 young persons with medical illness is currently using marijuana each day.  Public health researchers at the Universities of Nebraska and Kansas reviewed survey records from nearly 170,000 participants.   Frequency of use is highest in the youngest.  Twenty-five percent of young patients 18-24 use marijuana while only 2.4% of those over 65 do so.    The majority who use cannabis for medical purposes smoke it.   As more and more states pass medical marijuana laws, its use will continue to rise.  As that happens, standardization of available products and careful FDA oversight will help to assure safety and effectiveness.   If you are a user, be certain that your clinicians know it so that cannabis may be properly integrated into your care plan.   Dai H, Richter KP. A National Survey of Marijuana Use Among US Adults With Medical Conditions, 2016-2017. JAMA Netw Open. Published online September 20, 20192(9):e1911936. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.201