Cancer patients with more pain and anxiety turn to cannabis more often
Bramati PS, Abdelkhaleq H, Lopez Garayua G, Gilbey D, Manuel CM
Medicinal Plants
Cannabis is a flowering plant whose medicinal use is reshaping conversations about pain and palliative care, and understanding who actually uses it versus who doesn't reveals barriers that matter far beyond the clinic.
Researchers looked at 400 cancer patients in palliative care and compared those who used cannabis products to those who didn't. People dealing with higher levels of pain, anxiety, and appetite problems were more likely to reach for cannabis on their own. But women, older adults, and Black patients were less likely to use it, suggesting that not everyone with high symptom burden has equal access to or comfort with cannabis as a coping tool.
Key Findings
11.14% of palliative care patients self-reported cannabis use during their first consultation at the clinic in 2024.
Higher pain, anxiety, and appetite disturbance were each independently associated with increased odds of cannabis use in multivariate analysis.
Female sex, older age, and Black or African American race were associated with lower odds of self-reported cannabis use, indicating demographic disparities.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Cancer patients managing more severe pain, anxiety, and appetite loss were significantly more likely to report using cannabis products, according to a 2024 retrospective study at a U.S. tertiary cancer center. Women, older patients, and Black or African American patients were less likely to report use, pointing to demographic disparities in who turns to cannabis for symptom relief.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Self-Reported Cannabis Use and Symptom Burden Among Patients With Cancer Receiving Palliative Care.
BackgroundPatients are increasingly using cannabis products to manage a wide range of symptoms; however, few studies have examined the symptom burden of patients with cancer receiving palliative ca...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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