A Cross-Sectional Survey of Medical Cannabis Users: Patterns of Use and Perceived Efficacy

Abstract

Background: The political climate around Cannabis as a medicine is rapidly changing. Legislators are adopting policies regarding appropriate medical applications, while the paucity of research may make policy decisions around conditions for which Cannabis is an effective medicine difficult.

Cannabis as a substitute for prescription drugs – a cross-sectional study

“…In 2017, Lucas and Walsh19 found that 63% of 271 such subjects reported substituting cannabis for prescription drugs such as opioids (30%), benzodiazepines (16%) and antidepressants (12%), representing the same top three categories as data presented here. These findings also agree with our previous data showing that medical cannabis users report using cannabis most frequently to manage pain, anxiety and depression 6. The present study contributes to a greater understanding of substitution across specific classes of prescription drugs in a largely US-based sample, in a much larger cohort and cross-section, occurring among both medical and non-medical subjects, and in areas without legal access.…”

“…The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued federal guidelines on the long-term use of opiates, noting concerns that there may be negative unintended consequences associated with dose reduction, such as patients switching to the use of heroin 5. An alternative for patients with chronic pain is switching to the use of cannabis to navigate dose reduction and to treat their pain and/or comorbid conditions outright 6. A recent open-label, prospective study suggests that medical cannabis may decrease opioid use and benefit patients with treatment-resistant pain 7…”

Medicinal cannabis in Australia, 2016: the Cannabis as Medicine Survey (CAMS‐16)

“…As the survey was conducted immediately before Australian regulatory changes in November 2016, it is not surprising that almost all participants reported using illicit preparations. Like other international surveys, 10 ‐ 12 we found that medical cannabis is used for a diverse range of health conditions, especially pain, mental health, sleep, and neurological conditions. More than 80% of respondents indicated that medical cannabis effectively managed their target symptom.…”

“…The survey questions were developed by the investigators, building upon previous consumer surveys [10][11][12][13] and incorporating questions relevant to current Australian conditions. Areas of enquiry included: participant characteristics; medical conditions and symptoms for which medical cannabis was used, in structured checklists of conditions and symptoms for which medical cannabis use has previously been reported; current and lifetime patterns of cannabis use, including preparation type and source, frequency (days in past month, average number times per day) and route of use, and cost; perceived benefits and harms associated with medical cannabis, including side effects (symptom checklist), social Abstract Objective: To explore patterns of cannabis use for medical purposes in Australia immediately prior to the 2016 legislation for frameworks for medical cannabis use.…”

Cannabis for Chronic Pain: Challenges and Considerations

“…In retrospective studies, a similar association between cannabis use and a reduction in opiate use for chronic pain has been observed . The use of cannabis as an alternative to pharmaceutical drugs for pain treatment has also been reported . The notion that the use of cannabis could result in a reduction of opioid use is supported by the fact that the opioid overdose mortality rates are reduced in states where medical cannabis has been legalized .…”