re: Medical marijuana does not help with anxiety, depression, doubles risk of addiction: study

quote:

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MGH researchers began their trial in 2017 with 269 adults (average age of 37) from the greater Boston area who were interested in obtaining a medical marijuana card. One group was allowed to get MMCs immediately, while the second group, designed to serve as a control, was asked to wait 12 weeks before obtaining a card. Both groups were tracked over 12 weeks. The team found that the odds of developing CUD were nearly two times higher in the MMC cohort than in the wait list control group, and that by week 12, 10 percent of the MMC group had developed a CUD diagnosis, with the number rising to 20 percent in those seeking a card for anxiety or depression.

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So right off the bat:

- A study of 269 people in one area of the country is hardly a good representation of a large population with varying ages, medical conditions, etc.

- Two times higher (if the groups were close to evenly distributed) is 8 people instead of 4 developed CUD.

- Interestingly enough, you only need two of the following to qualify for CUD:

Continuing to use cannabis despite physical or psychological problems
Continuing to use cannabis despite social or relationship problems
Craving cannabis
Difficulty controlling or cutting down cannabis use
Giving up or reducing other activities in favor of cannabis
Problems at work, school, and home as a result of cannabis use
Spending a lot of time on cannabis use
Taking cannabis in high-risk situations
Taking more cannabis than was intended
Tolerance to cannabis
Withdrawal when discontinuing cannabis

- And then there's who funded the study:

quote:

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The study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

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