Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Cannabis, JAMA, Mental Health Research, Pediatrics / 19.12.2018
When Asked, Teens Frequently Report Hallucinations, Paranoia or Anxiety with Marijuana Use
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Sharon Levy, MD, MPH
Director, Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program
Boston Children's Hospital
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Harvard Medical School
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: For this study we analyzed data that were collected as part of a larger survey study that recruited a sample of adolescents who were coming to the doctor's office for routine medical care. We asked them a lot of questions about their health, school, extracurricular activities, plans for the future, substance use patterns and problems associated with use among other things.
The main finding was that among the participants who reported marijuana use in the past year, many of them, more than 40%, said that they had experienced either an hallucination, or paranoia/anxiety related to their use.
Kids who used more frequently and those who met criteria for a substance use disorder were more likely to experience these symptoms, as were those who had symptoms of depression (more…)