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CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
A Cross-Sectional Survey of Medical Cannabis Users: Patterns of Use and Perceived Efficacy
Cannabis and cannabinoid research, Vol.1(1), pp.131-138
06/01/2016
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/104313
PMCID: PMC5549439
PMID: 28861489
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.
Methods:
An anonymous online survey was developed to query medical Cannabis users about the conditions they use Cannabis to treat, their use patterns, perception of efficacy, and physical and mental health. Participants were recruited through social media and Cannabis dispensaries in Washington State.
Results:
A total of 1429 participants identified as medical Cannabis users. The most frequently reported conditions for which they used Cannabis were pain (61.2%), anxiety (58.1%), depression (50.3%), headache/migraine (35.5%), nausea (27.4%), and muscle spasticity (18.4%). On average, participants reported an 86% reduction in symptoms as a result of Cannabis use; 59.8% of medical users reported using Cannabis as an alternative to pharmaceutical prescriptions. Global health scores were on par with the general population for mental health and physical health.
Conclusions:
While patient-reported outcomes favor strong efficacy for a broad range of symptoms, many medical users are using Cannabis without physician supervision and for conditions for which there is no formal research to support the use of Cannabis (e.g., depression and anxiety). Future research and public policy should attempt to reduce the incongruence between approved and actual use.
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Details
- Title
- A Cross-Sectional Survey of Medical Cannabis Users: Patterns of Use and Perceived Efficacy
- Creators
- Michelle Sexton - Department of Medical ResearchCarrie Cuttler - Department of PsychologyJohn S Finnell - , AOMA, Austin, TexasLaurie K Mischley - Research Institute
- Publication Details
- Cannabis and cannabinoid research, Vol.1(1), pp.131-138
- Academic Unit
- Psychology, Department of
- Publisher
- Mary Ann Liebert, Inc; 140 Huguenot Street, 3rd FloorNew Rochelle, NY 10801USA
- Number of pages
- 8
- Grant note
- K01ATTA / NIH NCCAM; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund Initiative; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA
- Identifiers
- 99900546958701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article