Abstract Background Medical cannabis, legalized in many countries, remains illegal in France. Despite an experiment in the medical use of cannabis that began in March 2021 in France, little is known about the factors associated with the use of cannabis for self-medication among adults. Methods Data came from the French TEMPO cohort and were collected between December 2020 and May 2021. Overall, 345 participants aged 27–47 were included. Cannabis for self-medication was defined using the following questions: ‘Why do you use cannabis?’ and ‘In what form do you use cannabis?’. The penalized regression method “Elastic net” was used to determine factors associated with the...

Abstract Background In Illinois, the Opioid Alternative Pilot Program (OAPP) was launched to expand access to medical cannabis to use as a direct substitute for opioids. Although therapeutic benefits have been reported in reducing opioid use, there is an absence of literature that examines how medical cannabis use impacts an individual's quality of life (QoL). This study examines the association of medical cannabis use with QoL among the first enrollees in OAPP. Methods A survey was sent to enrollees between February and July 2019. Cannabis users (n=626) were compared to non-users (n=234) to determine whether there was an association between cannabis use within the...

Abstract Objective: An increase in medical cannabis and prescribed cannabinoids use for chronic pain management has been observed in Canada in the past years. This study aimed to: 1) Describe clinicians’ perceived risk associated with the use of medical cannabis and prescribed cannabinoids for the management of chronic pain; and 2) Identify sociodemographic and professional factors associated with perceived risk of adverse effects. Method: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Quebec, Canada in 2022. A convenience sample of 207 clinicians was recruited (physicians/pharmacists/nurse practitioners). They were asked to rate the risk of adverse effects associated with medical cannabis (e.g., smoke, or oil) and prescribed cannabinoids (e.g.,...

Abstract Background: Patient portal secure messaging allows patients to describe health-related behaviors in ways that may not be sufficiently captured in standard electronic health record (EHR) documentation, but little is known about how cannabis is discussed on this platform. Objective: This study aimed to identify patient and provider secure messages that discussed cannabis and contextualize these discussions over periods before and after its legalization for medical purposes in Pennsylvania. Methods: We examined 382,982 secure messages sent by 15,340 patients and 6101 providers from an integrated health delivery system in Pennsylvania, United States, from January 2012 to June 2022. We used an unsupervised natural language...

Abstract Introduction Women are emerging as a key demographic for medicinal cannabis (MC) use in countries that have implemented MC reforms. However, research on mothers' experiences of consuming MC remains limited beyond studies on perinatal outcomes. This study explores mothers' diverse experiences of consuming MC in New Zealand under the legal MC scheme. Methods Interviews with 15 mothers using MC via prescriptions, the illegal market or both in the last 12 months. Thematic analysis focused on MC use in parenting, MC conversations with children, societal stigma and risks. Results Mothers reported MC as an important facilitator of their ability to positively parent their children, enabling...

Please use this link to access this publication. ABSTRACT Cannabis was legalized for adult use in California in 2016 for individuals 21 and older. Among 18–20-years-olds, who can possess cannabis legally as medical cannabis patients (MCP) but not as non-patient cannabis users (NPU), the impact of adult use legalization (AUL) on cannabis and other substance use is unknown. Two cohorts of 18–20-year-old cannabis users (MCP and NPU) were surveyed, one in 2014–15 (n = 172 “pre-AUL”) and another in 2019–20 (n = 139 “post-AUL”), using similar data collection methods in Los Angeles, California. Logistic and negative binomial regressions estimated cohort and MCP differences for cannabis and other drug...

Abstract Cannabis consumption among aging adults in Canada is increasing. The aims of the study were to examine cannabis consumption patterns before and after non-medical cannabis legalization and assess whether these patterns differ between men and women. Data were analyzed from Canadian respondents in a repeat cross-sectional survey conducted in 2018–2021. Analyses were conducted among adults aged 55–65 (n = 18,177) who had consumed cannabis in the past 12-month (n = 4119). Past 12-month cannabis consumption significantly increased among 55–65-year-olds from 2018 (19.3%) to the first-year post-legalization in 2019 (24.5%; p < .001), but remained stable thereafter (24.3%, and 25.6% in 2020 and 2021). More men reported past...

Abstract Background Studies investigating the association between cannabis use and physical activity have had mixed results. This study provided a population-based assessment while determining how the relationship is affected by variables such as cannabis legalization status and chronic medical conditions. Methods Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data were used to evaluate the association between cannabis use and physical activity among adults ages 18 years and older in several states and territories of the U.S. during 2016–2022. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) measuring the relationship between physical activity in the past 30 days (yes vs. no) and cannabis use in the past 30 days (yes...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Introduction Social norms play an important role in cannabis use; however, there is little evidence on how social norms change in jurisdictions that legalize cannabis. This study examined trends in social norms before and after legalization of nonmedical cannabis in Canada in 2018. Methods Data are from the International Cannabis Policy Study, a series of cross-sectional surveys conducted annually with Canadian respondents aged 16–65 years. Analyses were conducted in 2023 and included data from 58,045 respondents across 4 waves: the year immediately before legalization (2018) and 3 post-legalization waves (2019–2021). Regression models examined trends in...

Abstract Background Little is known about whether cannabis legalization impacts cannabis use uptake or has spillover effects on co-use of cannabis and tobacco/nicotine (using both in the past 30 days). We determined associations of cannabis legalization with self-reported (1) current (past 30-day) cannabis use; (2) current (“now”) tobacco/nicotine use (smoking or electronic cigarette use); and (3) current co-use of cannabis and tobacco/nicotine and how prevalence is changing over time. Methods In this longitudinal study, a web-based survey was administered to a nationally representative, population-based panel of US adults in 2017, 2020, and 2021. We used weighted unadjusted binomial logistic GEE models to assess changes...