cannabis | CARLAT PUBLISHING

Expert Q&A

Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults: A Growing Concern

May 11, 2023

Olivera J. Bogunovic, MD.

Medical director of ambulatory services in the Division of Alcohol, Drugs, and Addiction at McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA; assistant professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Dr. Bogunovic has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Older adults with substance use disorders present to clinicians in various stages of change. Dr. Bogunovic discusses brief clinical interventions including motivational interviewing and how to approach harm reduction.

Expert Q&A

Managing Substance Use in Older Adults

May 9, 2023

Louis Trevisan, MD.

Louis Trevisan, MD.

Clinical professor of psychiatry, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE; associate professor of psychiatry, adjunct, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Dr. Trevisan has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

How do we best approach screening for substance use disorders in older adults? Dr. Trevisan walks us through his approach to choosing the right screening tools and speaking with patients.

Clinical Update

Screening Tools, Assessment, and Brief Interventions for Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults

May 9, 2023

Julia Cromwell, MD

Julia Cromwell, MD. Inpatient geriatric psychiatrist, Mass General Brigham Salem Hospital, Salem, MA.

Dr. Cromwell has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

How do you choose a screening tool for substance use disorders in older adults, and what do you do when a patient screens positive? We discuss common screening tools, assessments, and interventions based on an older adult’s risk level.

Expert Q&A

Interpreting Urine Drug Tests

April 1, 2023

Karen Moeller, PharmD

Karen Moeller, PharmD. Clinical professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Kansas School of Pharmacy. Lawrence, KS. Board-certified psychiatric pharmacist, inpatient psychiatry unit, University of Kansas Health Systems. Kansas City, KS.

Dr. Moeller has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Drug screen accuracy depends on several factors, including the type of lab test, the number of hours since the patient’s use of the drug, and more.. Dr. Moeller reviews key points.

Research Update

Are Higher-Potency Cannabis Products Riskier for Mental Illness?

April 1, 2023

Deepti Anbarasan, MD and John Wang, MD

John Wang, MD, and Deepti Anbarasan, MD. Dr. Wang and Dr. Anbarasan have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

In recent years, cannabis with widely varying THC concentrations has become available. But is there a link between how much THC a cannabis product contains and its risk of adverse effects. Researchers here add to the mounting evidence that the answer is likely yes.

Expert Q&A

Recognizing and Treating Substance-Induced Psychosis

April 1, 2023

David Beckmann, MD, MPH

David Beckmann, MD, MPH.

Assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University. Philadelphia, PA.

Dr. Beckmann has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Clinical pearls on how to assess and treat substance-induced psychosis when you come across them in your clinic.

Clinical Update

Naltrexone: A Jack of All Trades?

April 1, 2023

Julio Cesar Nunes, MD

Julio Cesar Nunes, MD. Psychiatry resident, Yale University. New Haven, CT.

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant professor of psychiatry, Yale University. New Haven, CT. Editor-in-chief of The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Nunes and Dr. Capurso have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Naltrexone was once hailed as a treatment for all addictive disorders. While the hype has not entirely panned out, it still holds an important place in our armamentarium of addiction treatments. Here, we review the evidence for its use and provide prescribing recommendations.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Driving Performance and Cannabis Users’ Perception of Safety: A Randomized Trial

January 30, 2023

Olaniyi Olayinka, MD.

Olaniyi Olayinka, MD. Dr. Olayinka has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Everyone knows that drinking alcohol can impair driving ability. Researchers here demonstrate that driving under the influence of cannabis can be risky as well.

EXPERT Q&A

Medicinal Cannabis

September 1, 2022

Deepak Cyril D’Souza, MD

Deepak Cyril D’Souza, MD. Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine. Psychiatrist, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, New Haven, CT. Dr. D’Souza, expert for this educational activity, has disclosed that he owns stocks in Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Biohaven Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Capurso has reviewed the content of this interview and determined that there is no commercial bias as a result of these financial relationships.

Laws permitting the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes are being passed around the country, but what are we to make of this new and evolving legal patchwork? Dr. D’Souza describes the process and implications of state-specific legislation, and reviews the evidence, or lack thereof, for cannabis treatment of psychiatric disorders.

EXPERT Q&A

Cannabis Use Disorder and Withdrawal

September 1, 2022

Denise Walker, PhD

Denise Walker, PhD. Research Professor and Director of the Innovative Programs Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Co-developer of The Change Companies’ What About Marijuana Journal. Dr. Walker, expert for this educational activity, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Dr. Walker reviews the clinical features of cannabis use disorder, who is most at risk, how it is similar and how it differs from other addictions, and treatment approaches. She also describes cannabis withdrawal, a syndrome that can pose a barrier to treatment, but frequently goes unrecognized.