A Qualitative Investigation Into the Experiences of Medicinal Cannabis Use Among Chronic Pain and PTSD Patients in Israel

Abstract

In the last two decades, the use of cannabis for medical purposes has become legal in many countries and its use is steadily increasing. One of the most frequently cited reasons for prescribing medicinal cannabis (MC) is management of chronic pain, and in recent years MC has also been used as a treatment of psychiatric conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, little is known about patients' experiences of the long-term physiological and psycho-social effects of MC use. In this study, we focused on Israeli MC patients' experiences in order to gain further understanding of the long-term effects of MC and explore narratives evolving from chronic pain and PTSD patients regarding their MC treatment. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted among participants prescribed MC for chronic pain or PTSD (n = 25), predominantly men. Thematic analysis was applied to characterize content, semantics, experience, and narratives of participants regarding their MC use. Two main themes were developed: (1) Coping mechanisms related to the adverse effects of MC use, which included Concealment, Justification, Protective behavioral strategies, and Rejection of "pothead" identity; and (2) Utilization of MC's positive effects, which included Forget/Disconnect, Helplessness/Despair, and Camaraderie against authorities. MC patients described coping strategies with experienced negative effects of MC use and utilization of MC treatment for various psychiatric, psychological, and social needs.

Keywords: chronic pain; coping mechanisms; medicinal cannabis; post-traumatic stress disorder; qualitative research; utilization.