How Veterans with Chronic Pain Approach Using Cannabis for Symptom Management: Results from a Qualitative Interpretive Description Study.

Veterans use cannabis as a chronic pain treatment due to a combination of the easing of restrictions and dissatisfaction with care standards. The segregation of medical cannabis from conventional health systems may translate to opportunities and disadvantages that are not well defined. Our study aimed to characterize how Veterans with chronic pain approach using cannabis for symptom management, including product access, developing a treatment plan, and its integration into daily life.

Highs and Lows: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of the Impact of Adult Use Legalization on Medical Cannabis Patients.

Presently, 24 states have legalized adult use (recreational) cannabis, each following medical-only access. Although states that pass adult use laws report substantial declines in the number of registered medical patients, these laws expand the market, potentially enhancing patient benefits. However, research on federal adult use cannabis legislation in Canada suggests that adult use laws negatively impact medical patients.

Data Quality in State Registry Reports of Medical Cannabis Patients in the United States.

To investigate characteristics of data reported in US medical cannabis registries across states. Data included 2021 medical cannabis registry reports from 34 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia (hereafter, states) with active medical cannabis programs. The data from the reports were manually coded into domains and subcategories, including information related to patients (e.

Cannabis-related information sources among US residents: A probability-weighted nationally representative survey.

Introduction: The Department of Health and Human Services recently recommended rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, which might have broad effects on public health outcomes related to cannabis. In this changing environment, understanding national patterns in how people obtain information about cannabis is critical to informing public health outreach and education.

Methods: We surveyed American adults (≥ 18 years) between June 22nd-26th, 2023 using the AmeriSpeak panel.

Going Underground: Demographics, Services, and Best Practices Endorsed by Practitioners Providing Support for Naturalistic Psychedelic Use.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has shown preliminary efficacy for psychiatric and physical health conditions. Although some people report naturalistic psychedelic use with so-called "underground" practitioners, little is known about PAT that occurs outside of controlled clinical settings or perspectives of these practitioners. We conducted an anonymous online survey of individuals who reported providing psychedelic support services (e.

Substituting Medical Cannabis for Medications Among Patients with Rheumatic Conditions in the United States and Canada.

Objective: There are numerous reports of people substituting medical cannabis (MC) for medications. Our obejctive was to investigate the degree to which this substitution occurs among people with rheumatic conditions.

Methods: In a secondary analysis from a cross-sectional survey conducted with patient advocacy groups in the US and Canada, we investigated MC use and medication substitution among people with rheumatic conditions.

Protocol for a pragmatic trial of Cannabidiol (CBD) to improve chronic pain symptoms among United States Veterans.

Background: Chronic pain affects over 100 million Americans, with a disproportionately high number being Veterans. Chronic pain is often difficult to treat and responds variably to medications, with many providing minimal relief or having adverse side effects that preclude use. Cannabidiol (CBD) has emerged as a potential treatment for chronic pain, yet research in this area remains limited, with few studies examining CBD's analgesic potential.

Trends in U.S. Medical Cannabis Registrations, Authorizing Clinicians, and Reasons for Use From 2020 to 2022.

Background: As medical cannabis availability increases, up-to-date trends in medical cannabis licensure can inform clinical policy and care.

Objective: To describe current trends in medical cannabis licensure in the United States.

Design: Ecological study with repeated measures.

Psychedelic substitution: altered substance use patterns following psychedelic use in a global survey.

Introduction: Recent research suggests that psychedelics may have potential for the treatment of various substance use disorders. However, most studies to date have been limited by small sample sizes and neglecting to include non-North American and European populations.

Methods: We conducted a global, cross-sectional online survey of adults (n = 5,268, 47.

Thoughtfully Integrating Cannabis Products Into Chronic Pain Treatment.

Cannabis products (CPs) and cannabis-based medicines (CBMs) are becoming increasingly available and are commonly used for pain management. The growing societal acceptance of cannabis and liberalization of cannabis laws allows patients to access CPs with minimal clinical oversight. While there is mechanistic plausibility that CPs and CBMs may be useful for pain management, the clinical trial literature is limited and does not refute or support the use of CBMs for pain management.

Relationship Between Nociplastic Pain Involvement and Medication Use, Symptom Relief, and Adverse Effects Among People Using Medical Cannabis for Chronic Pain.

Objectives: Cannabis is increasingly being used for chronic pain management, but cannabis' effects remain poorly characterized in chronic nociplastic pain (NPP), which is posited to be caused by disturbances in nervous system pain processing. In this cross-sectional study (n=1213), we used the 2011 Fibromyalgia (FM) Survey Criteria as a surrogate measure for degree of NPP among individuals using medical cannabis for chronic pain.

Methods: Using a quartile-split, we investigated associations between the degree of NPP and medication use, cannabis use characteristics, and symptom relief.

The Association of Cannabis Use After Discharge From Surgery With Opioid Consumption and Patient-reported Outcomes.

Objective: To compare outcomes of patients using versus not using cannabis as a treatment for pain after discharge from surgery.

Background: Cannabis is increasingly available and is often taken by patients to relieve pain. However, it is unclear whether cannabis use for pain after surgery impacts opioid consumption and postoperative outcomes.

Slouching towards engagement: interactions between people using psychedelics naturalistically and their healthcare providers.

Introduction: There is substantial public interest in psychedelics as potential treatments for psychiatric conditions. However, most psychedelics are criminalized under federal law in the USA, so it is unclear whether use occurs with clinical support. Our objective was to assess whether naturalistic psychedelic use occurs with clinical support, interactions between those using psychedelics and healthcare providers (psychiatrist, therapist, or primary physicians), and use characteristics.

Medicinal Cannabis Use for Rheumatic Conditions in the US Versus Canada: Rationale for Use and Patient-Health Care Provider Interactions.

Objective: Understanding how medical cannabis (MC) use is integrated into medical practice for rheumatic disease management is essential. We characterized rationale for MC use, patient-physician interactions around MC, and MC use patterns among people with rheumatic conditions in the US and Canada.

Methods: We surveyed 3406 participants with rheumatic conditions in the US and Canada, with 1727 completing the survey (50.

Risk Factors for the Development of Multisite Pain in Children.

Objective: Chronic pain has economic costs on par with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Despite this impact on the health care system and increasing awareness of the relationship between pain and mortality, efforts to identify simple symptom-based risk factors for the development of pain, particularly in children, have fallen short. This is critically important as pain that manifests during childhood often persists into adulthood.

Preferences and Support for Psychedelic Policies and Practices Among Those Using Psychedelics.

Legal, scientific, and social landscapes for psychedelics are changing rapidly. Differences of opinion exist among key stakeholders regarding regulatory control, models of provisioning psychedelic therapy, and medicalization, decriminalization, and/or legalization policies. We assessed the policy preferences of people using psychedelics naturalistically ( = 1221) to understand how they aligned and differed with institutional entities and existing psychedelic policies.

United States' qualifying conditions compared to evidence of the 2017 National Academy of Sciences Report.

Objective: To compare the 2017 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) report to state medical cannabis (MC) laws defining approved qualifying conditions (QC) from 2017 to 2024 and to determine if there exist gaps in evidence-based decision making.

Methods: The 2017 NAS report assessed therapeutic evidence for over twenty medical conditions treated with MC. We identified the QCs of 38 states (including Washington, D.

Physicians' Attitudes and Practices Regarding Cannabis and Recommending Medical Cannabis Use.

Medical cannabis users tend not to trust or rely on health care providers regarding cannabis advice. Previous surveys of physicians have focused on favorability toward medical cannabis. The current study assesses how physicians interact with patients regarding cannabis in their day-to-day practice, and whether and how they address important topics such as use patterns and substituting cannabis for medications.

"How Do I Learn More About this?": Utilization and Trust of Psychedelic Information Sources Among People Naturalistically Using Psychedelics.

There is a surge of interest in psychedelics, including new stakeholders and greater media attention. There is a need to examine the information-seeking behavior of people using psychedelics naturalistically, given the importance of preparation and harm-reduction. We examined sources of information for people using psychedelics naturalistically, and the degree to which they are trusted in a large, anonymous, online survey ( = 1221).

An Assessment of Psychedelic Knowledge Among People Using Psychedelics Naturalistically.

Identifying gaps and strengths in psychedelic-related knowledge is key to developing effective, evidence-based education to inform appropriate use of and harm reduction practices for psychedelics in the naturalistic use landscape. The current study piloted an assessment instrument with questions on legal status, therapeutic potential, and side effects of psychedelics among people reporting current psychedelic use. We recruited participants ( = 1435) at a psychedelic advocacy event and through psychedelic interest groups on social media.

Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: A World Apart from Clinical Care.

Interest in and availability of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes has increased in recent decades. In a large, anonymous, online survey, we investigated patterns of communication with healthcare providers and awareness and utilization of substance testing kits or services among people using psychedelics naturalistically. The sample population included attendees of a psychedelic activism event and users of psychedelic social media forums.

Healthcare provider and medical cannabis patient communication regarding referral and medication substitution: the Canadian context.

Background: Patients use medical cannabis for a wide array of illnesses and symptoms, and many substitute cannabis for pharmaceuticals. This substitution often occurs without physician oversight, raising patient safety concerns. We aimed to characterize substitution and doctor-patient communication patterns in Canada, where there is a mature market and national regulatory system for medical cannabis.