Expert Discusses the Potential Rescheduling of Cannabis | APhA 2025
Kari Franson, PharmD, PhD, BCPP, senior associate dean for academic and student affairs and professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of Southern California, discusses the risk factors and considerations for cannabis use disorder.
Cannabis use disorder presents a complex landscape of risk factors and clinical considerations, with experts highlighting the nuanced nature of potential dependency. While the overall risk of developing cannabis use disorder remains relatively low at around 9%, certain populations face significantly higher chances of addiction, according to Kari Franson, PharmD, PhD, BCPP, senior associate dean for academic and student affairs and professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of Southern California. Younger users, particularly those who begin cannabis use early, can experience up to a 16% risk of developing a use disorder. The risk escalates dramatically with daily, high-dose consumption, potentially reaching 30%.
Franson emphasizes the critical need for more precise definitions surrounding cannabis use disorder. Current research suggests that the risk is relatively consistent across recreational and medical users, indicating that dosage and consumption patterns may be more influential than the user's intention. She also advocates for a comprehensive approach to managing potential substance use disorders, recommending a 4-fold clinical strategy: assessing patient history, recommending lower-risk cannabis variants like CBD, implementing frequent monitoring, and being prepared to advise against cannabis use when risks are too high.
Additionally, Franson further highlights the potential role of pharmacists in cannabis regulation and patient safety. With potential rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III, there's an opportunity for pharmacists to reclaim their traditional health care role by providing expert guidance on safe cannabis use. She discusses existing federal laws that could enable pharmacists to dispense nonFDA-approved cannabis products, potentially creating a structured framework for responsible distribution and patient education. This approach could help mitigate risks associated with unregulated cannabis consumption while ensuring patients receive professional, evidence-based advice about their cannabis use.
"This is probably the ultimate area for [pharmacists] to get involved in because then we are seizing and saying, 'Hey, don't worry about it. We'll take responsibility of identifying appropriate products that we know the dosages of how much you're getting [and] what's in it to really give the patients the ultimate health care experience when they're trying to use cannabis for health," Franson said.
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