General practice & prim · UKMLA & AKT
Cannabis use disorder
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test. Below are the key points to recognise cannabis use disorder — the full SA Note notes add investigations, management, complications and 10 practice questions.
Key high-yield points
- Most used illegal drug in England and Wales - ~7.4% adults, 16.2% of 16-24 year olds report past-year use
- ~9% of all users develop dependence; rises to ~17% in daily users and ~50% in those starting in adolescence
- Principal psychoactive compound: delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - partial agonist at CB1/CB2 receptors; activates mesolimbic dopamine pathway → reward and dependence
- High-potency 'skunk' (THC >15%) has very low CBD content - removes CBD's partial antipsychotic protection, significantly increasing psychosis risk
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