As we start wrapping up 2023, the next two issues of The ASAM Weekly will contain the best of publications in both news and science. We do this each year to allow our readers an opportunity to catch up on things they may have missed, reflect on things that might have changed, or find out if they’re reading what their colleagues are reading (sort of like personalized normative feedback mentioned in the study from Alcohol Clinical and Experimental Research).

It takes big data to tackle some of the biggest issues in addiction. Cannabis use rates have been rising in recent years and a new study leveraging data from the largest integrated health care system in the US (the VA) has found that cannabis use disorder (CUD) rates have more than doubled among veterans. Unfortunately, increases were disproportionately found among veterans with psychiatric disorders, especially those with the most severe diagnoses such as bipolar and psychotic spectrum disorders (American Journal of Psychiatry).

The field of addiction medicine has been working hard to raise awareness about the disease and its treatments. A new study from NIDA researchers is doing so because of unfortunate findings: overdose deaths rose significantly for pregnant and postpartum women across demographic groups and in areas with adequate health care access, underscoring how stigma and punitive policies are still discouraging treatment (JAMA Psychiatry).

SAMHSA recently released results from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). While further analysis of the data is expected to follow, many of our featured publications this week provide important context for the numbers.

If you're a little apprehensive this year about having awkward or even anxiety-provoking Thanksgiving conversations, then we’ve got you covered.

How we frame the problem significantly impacts individuals with addiction. A global review of legislative approaches toward gambling demonstrates how some countries are still warming to a systemic, public health approach while many are mostly focused on vulnerable individuals and promoting responsible gambling (Lancet Public Health).

As we presented last week, ASAM provides expert guidance for the field of addiction medicine. Today, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) published the Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Stimulant Use Disorder.

If you haven’t recently explored the ASAM website, this week’s publications may be a good motivation to do so.

Stuff happens as we move substance use along the spectrum between criminalization and commercialization.

There’s something remarkable about identifying a common brain network underlying substance use disorders (Nature Mental Health). This commonality was not a given -- the results could have gone the other way -- but its existence is reassuring for how it unifies the disorders of addiction.