Despite a large body of evidence providing overwhelming proof that misuse of cannabis can lead to the typical problems of substance abuse, some people continue to question the entire concept of cannabis (marijuana) addiction.
While many people think marijuana is harmless, some people do become addicted to it. Roughly one million people receive substance abuse treatment for cannabis each year and the majority resume using marijuana following program discharge.
Separate the facts about cannabis use from the myths in an interview with Itai Danovitch, MD, director of Addiction Psychiatry Clinic Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Smoking remains a scourge despite almost universal acknowledgement of its harms. This raises a puzzling question: If smoking is so bad for you, why do people continue to smoke?
The FDA approved the use of Zubsolv on July 3. The medication contains buprenorphine and naloxone and is manufactured by Swedish drug maker Orexo AB. It comes in a once-daily tablet that dissolves under the tongue.
The FDA rejected a new medication to treat opioid addiction that would have been implanted under the skin. The implant, Probuphine, is a long-acting version of buprenophine that is implanted under the skin of the upper arm in a procedure that can be done in a physician’s office in about 10–15 minutes.
The new DSM-5 will change the way clinicians diagnose substance use disorders (SUD) and could have far-reaching consequences for patients seeking treatment and clinicians and organizations offering that treatment.