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Teens medically prescribed marijuana more likely to report addiction

High school seniors using marijuana for medical reasons were 10 times more likely to report addiction to the drug than peers who obtain marijuana illegally, according to study findings in The Journal of Adolescent Health.

“The National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) estimates that 76% of adolescents get their marijuana from a friend or family member, but whether the source originates with a medical marijuana patient or dispensary is undetermined. Indeed, the data on adolescents’ medical marijuana use are mixed; although the best designed studies have found no increase in adolescent’s use after medical marijuana laws were enacted in their state,” Carol J. Boyd, MSN, PhD, of the University of Michigan School of Nursing, and colleagues wrote.

Researchers assessed marijuana use and access among 4,394 twelfth-grade students via surveys.

Overall, 48 students had medical marijuana cards and 266 used medical marijuana without a card.

Approximately 1.1% of study participants reported using medical marijuana from their own prescription in the last year, and of these, 35% reported using medical marijuana from someone else’s prescription.

Six percent of all study participants reported using medical marijuana from someone else’s medical marijuana prescription in the last year.

When compared with study participants who used marijuana illegally, those who used medical marijuana had higher odds of using marijuana 40 or more times in the last year (adjusted OR = 3.3; P < .001), using marijuana daily (aOR = 4.09; P < .001), using marijuana because “I am hooked” (aOR = 10.2; P < .001) using illegal prescription drugs (aOR = 2.26; P < .05) and using illicit drugs other than marijuana (aOR = 2.32; P < .05).

Participants who used someone else’s medical marijuana were significantly more likely to engage in all of the examined behaviors, including using marijuana 10 or more times in the last year (aOR = 4.54; P < .001), using marijuana 40 or more times in the last year (aOR = 3.09; P < .001), using marijuana daily (aOR = 3.97; P < .001), using marijuana to get high (aOR = 1.96; P < .001), using marijuana because “I am hooked” (aOR = 4.61; P < .001), being drunk in the past year (aOR = 2.07; P < .01), using illegal prescription drugs (aOR = 3.82; P < .001) and using illicit drugs other than marijuana (aOR = 2.35; P < .001).

“Our data indicate that those adolescents using diverted medical marijuana have higher odds of engaging in all of the behaviors we examined, including using marijuana frequently, using to get high and using other substances,” Boyd and colleagues wrote. “This study also shows that relatively few adolescents have medical papers (ie, physician recommendation) to legally use medical marijuana, relatively few adolescents are obtaining their marijuana from ‘medical’ sources, and that most adolescents continue to get their marijuana from illicit sources.” – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.