#72 Notable Clinical Interest
Emerging findings or policy developments worth monitoring closely.
If you are a current or prospective cannabis patient, understanding your personal risk factors for dependence helps you and your physician build a safer, more individualized treatment plan with appropriate monitoring.
Understanding the risk profile for cannabis dependence is a critical clinical question that helps physicians identify which adult patients can use cannabis therapeutically with lower likelihood of developing problematic use patterns. Factors such as age of initiation, mental health history, frequency of use, genetic predisposition, and the presence of other substance use disorders all contribute to a patient’s overall risk profile. Clinicians who screen for these variables can more effectively tailor cannabis treatment plans that maximize benefit while minimizing the potential for dependence.
“We screen every one of our 30,000 patients for dependence risk factors because responsible cannabis medicine means knowing who is likely to do well and who needs closer follow up before we ever write a recommendation.”
🦴 New research is helping define what a low-risk adult cannabis patient looks like, and this is a conversation we have every single day in clinic. Dependence risk is shaped by age of initiation, psychiatric history, genetic factors, concurrent substance use, and dosing patterns, none of which can be assessed without proper screening. At CED Clinic, we use structured intake and follow-up protocols specifically because identifying risk early changes outcomes dramatically. The goal of cannabis medicine is not just symptom relief but sustainable, safe treatment, and that requires knowing your patient’s full picture. This kind of research gives clinicians better tools to do exactly that, and patients should expect nothing less from their providers.
💬 Join the Conversation
Have a question about how this applies to your situation? Ask Dr. Caplan →
Want to discuss this topic with other patients and caregivers? Join the forum discussion →
Have thoughts on this? Share it: