As access to legal marijuana increases, researchers explore patient use

About 1 in 7 adult primary care patients visiting medical offices reported having used marijuana at least once in the past year, according to a study conducted by Kaiser Permanente researchers since Washington state legalized nonmedical cannabis use in 2014.

In young adults, that rate was higher: nearly 2 in 5. Young adults—especially men age 18-29 who had depression or used tobacco—were also much more likely than others to use cannabis every day. These findings raise concerns, according to first author Gwen T. Lapham, PhD, MPH, MSW, a Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute research associate. “Much remains to be learned about marijuana use, while legalization is spreading.”

“Routinely asking about cannabis use in primary care is part of whole-person care, and it’s the first step to starting a conversation between patients and their primary care providers,” says the study’s principal investigator, Katharine A. Bradley,…