Table 2.

Qualitative Themes, Codes and Definitions from Open-ended Interview

Themes	Codes	Definitions
Perceived Effectiveness of Medical Cannabis	Medical cannabis was effective.	Participant reported that medical cannabis was effective for chronic pain management.
	Medical cannabis had limited effect in pain reduction.	Participant reported limits in the level or quantity of pain treatable by medical cannabis product.
	Unsure of overall effectiveness of medical cannabis.	Participant was undecided on the overall effectiveness of medical cannabis treatment.
	Medical cannabis overall no effect.	No clear effects were observed from medical cannabis treatment.
Health Benefits	Medical cannabis improved sleep quality.	Participant experienced improvements in sleep quality after starting medical cannabis product.
	Medical cannabis helpful for reducing other medications.	Participant reported reduction in previous pain medication and opioid usage.
	Medical cannabis improved physical health and functionality.	Participant experienced improvements in physical health, functionality, and mobility with medical cannabis.
	Mental Health Benefits	Participants reported benefits with mental health including improved focus, mood, and stress levels after beginning treatment.
Side Effects	Undesired ‘high’	Participant reported undesirable high because of medical cannabis product.
	Stomach discomfort experienced	Participant reported experiencing stomach discomfort after initiating medical cannabis treatment.
	Choking on ‘vape’	Participant reported experiencing ‘choking’ when consuming medical cannabis through vape.
Medical Cannabis Treatment Regimen	Product Components	Participant stated preferences with product ingredients and THC to CBD ratio.
	Mode of Consumption	Participant was uncertain about most effective mode of consumption.
	Determining Proper Dosage	Participant reported difficulties determining optimal dosage and ‘sweet spot’ with medical cannabis usage.