San Francisco, CA: Adults who use cannabis for therapeutic purposes are most likely to report consuming it to address symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, and depression, according to survey data published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco analyzed responses from a nationally representative online sample of adults.
Among those who acknowledged using cannabis for medical purposes, 49 percent reported doing so to treat anxiety. Forty-seven percent of respondents said that they used cannabis for insomnia, 42 percent said that they did so to treat chronic pain, and 39 percent said that cannabis eased their depression.
Respondents most preferred method of cannabis ingestion was inhalation.
Women, more frequently than men, reported using cannabis to address symptoms of post-traumatic stress, insomnia, anxiety, and migraines. Men were more likely to report using cannabis as a mood stabilizer.
Of those respondents who had disclosed their medical cannabis use to their primary care physician, nearly half said that their doctor was supportive of their decision.
The study’s findings are consistent with prior data indicating that patients are most likely to report using medical cannabis in the treatment of either chronic pain or mental health symptoms.
Full text of the study, “Medical reasons for marijuana use, forms of use, and patient perception of physician attitudes among the US population,” appears in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.