ERIC Number: EJ1474618
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jul
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1087-0547
EISSN: EISSN-1557-1246
Available Date: 0000-00-00
ADHD Symptoms and Medical Cannabis Use among Adults with Chronic Pain
David Saunders1,2; Deepika Slawek3; Chenshu Zhang4; Nancy Sohler5; Chinazo Cunningham3; Haruka Minami6; Joanna Starrels3; Julia Arnsten3; Frances Levin1,7
Journal of Attention Disorders, v29 n9 p757-765 2025
Objective: We examined whether medical cannabis (MC) use was associated with change in ADHD symptoms across time in a sample of adults with chronic pain. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal cohort study (N = 223) across 12 months, assessing ADHD symptoms and MC use. We used mixed-effects linear regression to test whether MC use (vs. no use) and high THC (vs. low THC) MC was associated with change in ADHD symptoms from baseline to follow-up at quarterly intervals. We stratified by baseline ADHD symptoms and pain catastrophizing. Results: MC use was not associated with change in ADHD symptoms in the full sample or those with moderate/severe ADHD symptoms. Among those with minor/no baseline ADHD symptoms, high-THC MC (vs. low-THC) was associated with a decrease in ADHD symptoms. Conclusions: The null findings among participants with moderate/severe ADHD symptoms suggests that cannabis is unlikely to be a good treatment for ADHD. The preliminary findings in those with mild ADHD symptoms should be interpreted with caution given the small sample, the modest result, and all participants had chronic pain. These results may temper enthusiasm for MC as a treatment for ADHD, but further studies in larger and more generalizable samples may be justified.
Descriptors: Marijuana, Drug Use, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Adults, Pain, Severity (of Disability), Individual Characteristics
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (DHHS/PHS); National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) (DHHS/NIH); National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York (New York)
Grant or Contract Numbers: R01DA044171; K23DA053997; K12DA000357; UL1TR001073; P30AI124414
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; 2Division of Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA; 3Division of General Internal Medicine, Montefiore Health System, Bronx, NY, USA; 4Albert Einstein College of Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; 5CUNY School of Medicine at The City College of New York, USA; 6Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA; 7Division on Substance Use Disorders, New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA