As cannabis use grows, primary care needs to integrate screening for patients

Medical Economics June 6, 2024
Richard Payerchin

Study examines reasons and relative low rates of screening for patient use of the drug.

As more states allow use of cannabis for medical or recreational use, primary care physicians need to integrate routine cannabis screenings, according to a new study.

Researchers found one in six patients in primary care reported using the drug, and 34.7% of those patients using at levels that indicate moderate to high risk of cannabis use disorder. The authors said few health care systems offer cannabis screenings in primary care, but that needs to change.

“Patients may not tell their primary care providers about their cannabis use, and their doctors may not ask about it,” lead author Lillian Gelberg, MD, said in an accompanying news...

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