San Francisco, CA: Nearly one-third of patients with cystic fibrosis report having used cannabis within the past year, according to survey data published in the journal Pediatric Pulmonology.
Researchers affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco surveyed 226 cystic fibrosis patients. Respondents lived in the United States and were at least 13 years old.
Twenty-nine percent of those surveyed acknowledged having consumed cannabis in the past year. Twenty-two percent said that they had consumed CBD products.
Consumers of cannabis and CBD products were most likely to report using them to mitigate symptoms of anxiety and depression, to stimulate appetite, and to alleviate arthritic pain.
Among those respondents who had never used either cannabis or CBD products, approximately 50 percent said that they would do so if marijuana was legal.
“There is a great need to expand the current knowledge of and guidance regarding marijuana and CBD use in the CF patient population,” the study’s authors concluded. “Further research is warranted to counsel pwCF (people with cystic fibrosis) accurately, as many report experiencing therapeutic benefits.”
Full text of the study, “Time to be blunt: Substance use in cystic fibrosis,” appears in Pediatric Pulmonology.