How medical cannabis affects physical and mental health
Cannabis effects on physical and mental health in medical cannabis patients
This project looks at whether medical cannabis leads to problematic patterns of use and how tolerance and withdrawal relate to physical and mental health in adult medical cannabis patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11314516 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of research that adapts prescription-medication diagnostic ideas to medical cannabis so doctors can tell expected medication effects from a harmful pattern of use. The team will collect symptom reports, medical history, alcohol co-use information, and biological markers and follow patients over time to see who develops signs of problematic use. They will focus on tolerance and withdrawal symptoms and compare those with behaviors like impaired control or continued use despite problems. Findings will be used to improve how clinicians identify and monitor patients at higher risk for cannabis use disorder while using medical cannabis.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (18+) who use medical cannabis regularly or who are concerned about tolerance, withdrawal, or cannabis-related problems would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People under 18, recreational-only cannabis users, or those unwilling to provide follow-up information or samples are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians spot and prevent problematic cannabis use in medical cannabis patients and guide safer monitoring and dosing.
How similar studies have performed: Large surveys have shown a portion of medical cannabis users meet CUD criteria, but applying DSM-5 prescription-medication approaches to medical cannabis is relatively new and not yet widely tested.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chung, Tammy — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Chung, Tammy
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.