Cannabis Patients in Canada Surveyed about Pain Relief
Canada: Survey on cannabis use among pain patients
BBSNews - 2003-03-18 -- Medical marijuana patients in Canada were surveyed recently. The International Association for Cannabis as Medicine (IACM)
in Germany reported on Sunday: A questionnaire survey was conducted among patients with
chronic non-cancer pain at the McGill University Health Center
in Montreal to estimate their dose size and frequency of cannabis
use. 209 patients were recruited in an anonymous survey. 32
(15%) subjects reported having used cannabis for pain relief,
and 20 (10%) subjects were currently using cannabis for pain
relief. 18% reported using it recreationally.
The largest group of patients using cannabis had pain caused by
trauma and/or surgery (51%). Of the 32 subjects who used
cannabis for pain, 53% used four puffs or less at each dosing
interval, 25% smoked a whole cannabis cigarette and 12%
smoked more than one cigarette. 22% of these 32 subjects used
cannabis more than once daily, 16% used it daily, 25% used it
weekly and 28% used it rarely.
Pain, sleep and mood were most frequently reported as
improving with cannabis use. Psychological effects and dry
mouth were the most commonly reported side effects.
(Source: Ware MA, Doyle CR, Woods R, Lynch ME, Clark
AJ. Cannabis use for chronic non-cancer pain: results of a
prospective survey. Pain 2003;102(1-2):211-216)
IACM-Bulletin archives: http://www.cannabis-med.org/
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