Table 1.
Characteristics of medicinal cannabis users (n = 66)
| n | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Do you have a qualifying medical condition that would make you eligible to receive medical marijuana in your state? | ||
| • Yes | 41 | 62.1 |
| • I do not know whether my medical condition would make me eligible | 16 | 24.2 |
| • I do not have a medical condition that would make me eligible but think medical marijuana would help me with a problem | 9 | 13.6 |
|
| ||
| M | SD | |
|
| ||
| How long have you been using marijuana for medicinal purposes? | ||
| • Years | 3.39 | 5.47 |
| • Months | 1.27 | 2.30 |
|
| ||
| n | % | |
|
| ||
| How often have you used marijuana for medicinal purposes? | ||
| • Less than monthly | 2 | 3.0 |
| • Monthly | 6 | 9.1 |
| • Weekly | 16 | 24.2 |
| • Daily or almost daily | 42 | 63.6 |
|
| ||
| Have you ever obtained a medical marijuana registration card? | ||
| • Yes | 16 | 24.2 |
| • No | 50 | 75.8 |
|
| ||
| If no, have you before or are you now considering obtaining a medical marijuana card? | ||
| • Definitely will not obtain | 1 | 2.0 |
| • Probably will not obtain | 2 | 4.0 |
| • Not sure | 10 | 20.0 |
| • Probably will obtain | 19 | 38.0 |
| • Definitely will obtain | 18 | 36.0 |
|
| ||
| Have you ever discussed the possibility of using medical marijuana (using marijuana for medicinal purpose) with your doctor (check all that apply)? | ||
| • Yes and my doctor agreed that I would benefit from medical marijuana | 24 | 36.4 |
| • Yes and my doctor said that I would not benefit from medical marijuana | 2 | 3.0 |
| • No because I know s/he will not be willing to consider medical marijuana in my treatment | 10 | 15.2 |
| • No because I do not think I would be eligible for the medical marijuana program in my state | 5 | 7.6 |
| • No but plan to do so in the near future | 21 | 31.8 |
| • No but plan to seek another doctor who would discuss the medical marijuana option with me | 9 | 13.6 |
| • No because I do not want to get in trouble and/or have this discussion negatively affect my benefits and services at the VA | 17 | 25.8 |
|
| ||
| What condition(s) have led you to seek out medicinal marijuana (i.e., what is it prescribed for; check all that apply)?* | ||
| • Anxiety | 49 | 74.2 |
| • PTSD | 43 | 65.2 |
| • Chronic pain | 41 | 62.1 |
| • Depression | 41 | 62.1 |
| • Stress | 39 | 59.1 |
| • Insomnia | 37 | 56.1 |
| • Headaches | 29 | 43.9 |
| • Nightmares | 23 | 34.8 |
| • Appetite | 20 | 30.3 |
| • Muscle spasms | 21 | 31.8 |
| • Nausea | 14 | 21.2 |
|
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| How well has the use of marijuana helped your condition? | ||
| • Not at all | 1 | 1.5 |
| • A little bit | 1 | 1.5 |
| • Moderately | 7 | 10.6 |
| • Quite a bit | 23 | 34.8 |
| • Extremely | 34 | 51.5 |
|
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| Have you tried any of the following treatments for your medical condition (choose all that apply)? | ||
| • Prescription medications | 53 | 80.3 |
| • Counseling | 45 | 68.2 |
| • Physical therapy | 39 | 59.1 |
| • Chiropractic | 19 | 28.8 |
| • Acupuncture | 13 | 19.7 |
| • Therapeutic injection | 10 | 15.2 |
| • Surgery | 7 | 10.6 |
| • Other | 5 | 7.6 |
| • Homeopathy | 3 | 4.5 |
| • None, do not need any treatment | 2 | 3.0 |
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| Have you ever used marijuana obtained by someone else with their medical card? | ||
| • No, no need, I have my own medical marijuana card | 12 | 18.2 |
| • No, I use marijuana from other sources | 25 | 37.9 |
| • Not sure | 16 | 24.2 |
| • Yes, I have used it but only a few times | 8 | 12.1 |
| • Yes, I use it regularly | 5 | 7.6 |
Notes. Questions in italics were from The Medical Marijuana Patient Questionnaire.
*
Includes conditions for which at least 10% of the sample endorsed using cannabis. Less than 10% reported using for the following conditions: HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, cancer, seizures, gastrointestinal problems (e.g., Crohn’s disease, gastroparesis, ulcerative colitis), epilepsy, hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, Lyme disease, degenerative disc disease, and pain pills.