[Assessment and treatment of cannabis use disorders in primary health care].

In Finland every fourth young adult (25 to 34 years of age) has experience with the use of cannabis and in younger people (15 to 24 years) about 10% have used it during the previous year. The majority (about 90%) neither becomes addicted nor develops significant psychiatric symptoms, but in some individuals regular cannabis-use can cause a variety of problems (health, emotional, behavioural, social, legal). If problems have not yet developed or are still minor, patient's cannabis-use may be addressed by brief intervention in a primary care setting. Also, treatment of uncomplicated cannabis withdrawal as well as of minor symptoms from smoking (bronchitis, sleep disturbances), can be treated in community health centres. Children and adolescents, pregnant individuals or those with psychiatric symptoms should be treated by services with expertise in addiction medicine.