New ADAI Research: Cannabis-Related Problems, Adverse Events, Clinical Experiences, and Barriers to Intervening for Health Care Providers in WA State
03/30/2026
Citation: Carlini BH, Kellum LB, Garrett SB, Williams JR. Cannabis-related problems, adverse events, clinical experiences and barriers to intervening: Perspectives of health care providers in Washington State. Substance Use & Addiction 2026 (in press). doi: 10.1177/29767342261426116
This new paper from ADAI’s Cannabis Education & Research Program (CERP) team (CERP Director Beatriz Carlini and Lyndsey Kellum, Sharon Garrett, and Jason Williams) reports on a study conducted in Washington State between December 2024-March 2025.
Health care providers (N=388) were invited to complete an anonymous online survey asking about frequency and seriousness of various cannabis-related adverse events, related clinical practices and procedures, knowledge and confidence addressing such problems, level of concern, and barriers and facilitators to identifying and intervening in such events.
Providers were mostly medical doctors who worked in hospitals or primary care clinics.
Key findings included:
- 35% reported seeing cannabis adverse events and use-related problems at least 2-3 times a month
- Severe cyclic vomiting was most common (70% reported it ever occurred) and was second to psychosis as “most serious” (33% and 34%)
- 90% of providers saw screening and intervening as important, but only 39.1% reported universally screening for cannabis
- Half of providers expressed being extremely or very concerned about the mental health risks associated with cannabis use; more than one-third voiced similar concerns about physical health risks
Conclusions: Health care providers in Washington State, which legalized cannabis for non-medical use in 2012, have encountered adverse events and other complications related to cannabis use, and many are concerned about their frequency and severity.
According to study participants, expanding access to clinical guidelines, validated tools, referral pathways, and specialized training may improve their willingness and capacity to screen and intervene effectively.
This research was written about by numerous local/regional news organizations, including:
- UW Medicine Newsroom (Brian Donohue): Cannabis-related health problems: WA clinical snapshot
- KOMO News: Survey: More than half of Washington clinicians cite mental-health risks from cannabis use
- MyNorthwest (Aaron Granillo): Washington doctors are sounding alarm on cannabis health effects, survey shows
- Inlander (Samantha Wohlfeil): UW survey finds health care professionals want more training on cannabis and see four main adverse conditions
- KOIN6 (Michaela Bourgeois): Healthcare workers lack training for cannabis-related illness, University of Washington finds
- King5 (Christine Pae): UW study explores cannabis use concerns
- Fox13 Seattle (TV interview): UW study finds gaps in doctor training on cannabis
Read the complete paper here
(Need help getting a copy? Email meganw@uw.edu)
