What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: Addiction, Mental Health.

Where was this research published?

Published in Journal of cannabis research on July 3, 2026.

Cannabis beliefs vary dramatically among people in recovery

Q: What did this research study find?

This study examined **cannabis use and beliefs among 507 people in recovery from substance use disorders**, revealing significant differences in how people perceive cannabis depending on their usage status. Researchers found that **35.9% currently use cannabis** while **51.3% formerly used it**, wit

Cannabis use and beliefs among people in recovery from substance use disorders.

Journal of cannabis research • July 3, 2026 • Moderately Relevant

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AI Summary

This study examined cannabis use and beliefs among 507 people in recovery from substance use disorders, revealing significant differences in how people perceive cannabis depending on their usage status. Researchers found that 35.9% currently use cannabis while 51.3% formerly used it, with current users predominantly citing therapeutic purposes as their motivation. Importantly, those actively using cannabis held substantially more positive views about its acceptability, safety, and benefits compared to former or never-users, while also believing cannabis posed greater risks than other groups—a potentially paradoxical pattern suggesting rationalization of continued use.

The most striking finding concerns beliefs about addiction potential: all participants believed cannabis was significantly less addictive than alcohol, cigarettes, and cocaine. However, current cannabis users rated it as dramatically less addictive than those who had quit or never tried it. Even more revealing, participants with mild cannabis use disorder (CUD) believed cannabis was least addictive, while those with severe CUD believed it was most addictive—the opposite of beliefs about other substance use disorders, where severity didn't correlate with perceived addictiveness. This pattern suggests that cannabis's perceived addictiveness varies based on personal experience with it, potentially influencing recovery decisions.

These findings highlight a critical concern for addiction treatment and recovery communities: heterogeneous beliefs about cannabis among people in recovery may complicate abstinence-based approaches, particularly when current users view it as a safer alternative to other drugs. The research underscores that cannabis perceptions in this population are highly subjective and experience-dependent, warranting tailored clinical approaches that address both the pharmacological reality of cannabis use disorder and individual beliefs about the drug's safety and addictiveness.

📄 Original Abstract

Cannabis use has increased dramatically in the past decade and is currently among the most commonly used drugs in the world. Among people in recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs), cannabis is sometimes put forward as a less harmful substitute for other drugs, conflicting with abstinence-based recovery approaches. We aimed to describe cannabis use among people in recovery, explore relations among cannabis use (CU) status (Current-CU, Former-CU, Never-CU) and beliefs about social acceptability, safety, benefits, risks, and addictiveness of cannabis, and compare beliefs about the addictiveness of cannabis with that of other substances. This study was a cross-sectional, online survey of people in recovery (n = 507) from SUDs. Cannabis use and beliefs about acceptability, benefits, risks, safety, and addictiveness were assessed, and diagnostic criteria for SUDs, including cannabis use disorder (CUD). Participants were, on average, 47.2 (SD = 12.2) years old, 67.3% female, 81.1% White, and 93.7% non-Hispanic/Latino; 35.9% and 51.3% indicated Current- or Former-CU, respectively. Current-CU was associated with use for therapeutic purposes, and more positive beliefs about the acceptability (ps ≤ .010), safety (ps < .001), and benefits of cannabis, and risks compared to Former- or Never-CU. Those who never used cannabis rated cannabis as the least socially acceptable (ps ≤ .015), least safe (ps ≤ .036), and were least likely to endorse potential benefits. Individuals who formerly used cannabis generally showed intermediate beliefs. All participants believed cannabis was less addictive than alcohol (ps < .001), cigarettes (ps < .001), and cocaine (ps < .001), but Current-CU believed cannabis was significantly less addictive (ps < .001) than Former- and Never-CU. Participants with mild CUD believed cannabis was less addictive than those with severe CUD. Among participants with other SUDs, beliefs about the addictiveness of the respective substance did not differ by SUD severity (ps ≥ .298). These findings underscore the importance of recognizing heterogeneity in cannabis use among people in recovery. Those with mild CUD believed cannabis was the least addictive while those with severe CUD believed cannabis was most addictive. In contrast, beliefs about the addictiveness of other substances were independent of SUD severity. This pattern of beliefs about addictiveness appears to be specific to cannabis. Understanding beliefs about cannabis use among people in recovery may clarify its impact on recovery.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: Journal of cannabis research
Published: July 3, 2026
PMID: 42400078
DOI: 10.1186/s42238-026-00461-5

Authors (4)

Anthony N Nist Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA.
Christine E Sheffer Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
Ghada Nusair Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA.
Allison N Tegge Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA. ategge@vt.edu.