title: Characteristics of substance use disorder treatment patients using medical cannabis for pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was designed to assess the prevalence and correlates of self-reported medical cannabis use for pain in a substance use disorder (SUD) treatment program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (n=433) aged 18 years and older were recruited from February 2012 to July 2014 at a large residential SUD treatment program. They completed a battery of questionnaires to assess demographics, usual pain level in the past three months (using the 11-point Numeric Rating Scale for pain), depression (using the Beck Depression Inventory), previous types of pain treatments, and lifetime and past-year use of substances (using the Addiction Severity Index). Using both adjusted and unadjusted logistic regression models, we compared those who reported medical cannabis use for pain with those who did not report it.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 15% of the sample (n=63) reported using medical cannabis for pain in the past year. After adjusting for age, medical cannabis use for pain was significantly associated with past-year use of alcohol, cocaine, heroin, other opioids, and sedatives, but was not associated with usual pain level or depression. It was also associated with past year treatment of pain using prescription pain relievers without prescriptions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that medical cannabis use for pain is relatively common and is associated with more extensive substance use among SUD patients. Future work is needed to develop and evaluate strategies to assess and treat individuals who report medical cannabis for pain in SUD treatment settings.
authors.affiliation: Bowling Green State University, Department of Psychology, 207 Psychology Building, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA; VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Mental Health Services, 2215 Fuller Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA. Electronic address: Lisham.ashrafion@va.gov.
authors.forename: Lisham
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ashrafioun
authors.affiliation: VA Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource and Evaluation Center (SMITREC), United State Department of Veterans Affairs, North Campus Research Complex, 2800 Plymouth Rd. Building 14, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, North Campus Research Complex, 2800 Plymouth Rd. Building 10, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Kipling M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Bohnert
authors.affiliation: VA Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource and Evaluation Center (SMITREC), United State Department of Veterans Affairs, North Campus Research Complex, 2800 Plymouth Rd. Building 14, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, North Campus Research Complex, 2800 Plymouth Rd. Building 10, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jannausch
authors.affiliation: VA Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource and Evaluation Center (SMITREC), United State Department of Veterans Affairs, North Campus Research Complex, 2800 Plymouth Rd. Building 14, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, North Campus Research Complex, 2800 Plymouth Rd. Building 10, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ilgen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D064086:Medical Marijuana / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D064086:Medical Marijuana
keywords: Cannabis; Pain; Substance use disorders