Views on and experiences with medicinal cannabis among Canadian veterans who live with pain: A qualitative study
ABSTRACTBackground During fiscal year 2021–2022, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) reimbursed 18,388 veterans for medicinal cannabis at a cost of $153 million. Yet, it is not known whether the reimbursement program is producing a net benefit for veterans.Aims This study investigated the views and experi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2023-12-01
|
| Series: | Canadian Journal of Pain |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/24740527.2023.2232838 |
| _version_ | 1827631236762304512 |
|---|---|
| author | David P. Storey Natalie R. Keeler-Villa Nick Harris Jennifer Anthonypillai Gregory K. Tippin Vikas Parihar Joshua A. Rash |
| author_facet | David P. Storey Natalie R. Keeler-Villa Nick Harris Jennifer Anthonypillai Gregory K. Tippin Vikas Parihar Joshua A. Rash |
| author_sort | David P. Storey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACTBackground During fiscal year 2021–2022, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) reimbursed 18,388 veterans for medicinal cannabis at a cost of $153 million. Yet, it is not known whether the reimbursement program is producing a net benefit for veterans.Aims This study investigated the views and experiences Canadian that veterans who live with pain have about medicinal cannabis use, including its use for the management of chronic pain, poor sleep, and emotional distress.Methods Twelve Canadian veterans who live with pain—eight men, four women; split across four focus groups—were recruited to participate in a semistructured discussion around their experiences with medicinal cannabis use.Results Using inductive thematic analysis, seven broad categories were identified: (1) cannabis use behaviors, (2) reasons for cannabis use, (3) outcomes from cannabis use, (4) facilitators of cannabis use, (5) barriers to cannabis use, (6) stigma around cannabis use, and (7) questions and concerns about cannabis use.Conclusions Most veterans initiated cannabis use to manage the symptoms of preexisting medical and/or mental health conditions. Despite some negative side effects, most veterans reported improvements in their overall quality of life, sleep, relationships, mood, and pain. Concern remains around the discrepancy between veterans’ qualitative reports of beneficial outcomes from medicinal cannabis use and equivocal findings around the benefit-to-harm ratio in the wider literature. Currently, the VAC reimbursement program remains challenged by unclear indication for which veterans, with what condition(s), at what dose, and in what form medical cannabis is most beneficial. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:18:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e0d24bed99fe45afb1ce72ae403aed54 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2474-0527 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:18:10Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Canadian Journal of Pain |
| spelling | doaj.art-e0d24bed99fe45afb1ce72ae403aed542023-11-28T20:20:17ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCanadian Journal of Pain2474-05272023-12-017110.1080/24740527.2023.2232838Views on and experiences with medicinal cannabis among Canadian veterans who live with pain: A qualitative studyDavid P. Storey0Natalie R. Keeler-Villa1Nick Harris2Jennifer Anthonypillai3Gregory K. Tippin4Vikas Parihar5Joshua A. Rash6Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, CanadaMichael G. DeGroote Pain Clinic, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaMichael G. DeGroote Pain Clinic, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaMichael G. DeGroote Pain Clinic, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, CanadaABSTRACTBackground During fiscal year 2021–2022, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) reimbursed 18,388 veterans for medicinal cannabis at a cost of $153 million. Yet, it is not known whether the reimbursement program is producing a net benefit for veterans.Aims This study investigated the views and experiences Canadian that veterans who live with pain have about medicinal cannabis use, including its use for the management of chronic pain, poor sleep, and emotional distress.Methods Twelve Canadian veterans who live with pain—eight men, four women; split across four focus groups—were recruited to participate in a semistructured discussion around their experiences with medicinal cannabis use.Results Using inductive thematic analysis, seven broad categories were identified: (1) cannabis use behaviors, (2) reasons for cannabis use, (3) outcomes from cannabis use, (4) facilitators of cannabis use, (5) barriers to cannabis use, (6) stigma around cannabis use, and (7) questions and concerns about cannabis use.Conclusions Most veterans initiated cannabis use to manage the symptoms of preexisting medical and/or mental health conditions. Despite some negative side effects, most veterans reported improvements in their overall quality of life, sleep, relationships, mood, and pain. Concern remains around the discrepancy between veterans’ qualitative reports of beneficial outcomes from medicinal cannabis use and equivocal findings around the benefit-to-harm ratio in the wider literature. Currently, the VAC reimbursement program remains challenged by unclear indication for which veterans, with what condition(s), at what dose, and in what form medical cannabis is most beneficial.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/24740527.2023.2232838Cannabinoidsmedical cannabischronic painVeteransmilitaryqualitative research |
| spellingShingle | David P. Storey Natalie R. Keeler-Villa Nick Harris Jennifer Anthonypillai Gregory K. Tippin Vikas Parihar Joshua A. Rash Views on and experiences with medicinal cannabis among Canadian veterans who live with pain: A qualitative study Canadian Journal of Pain Cannabinoids medical cannabis chronic pain Veterans military qualitative research |
| title | Views on and experiences with medicinal cannabis among Canadian veterans who live with pain: A qualitative study |
| title_full | Views on and experiences with medicinal cannabis among Canadian veterans who live with pain: A qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Views on and experiences with medicinal cannabis among Canadian veterans who live with pain: A qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Views on and experiences with medicinal cannabis among Canadian veterans who live with pain: A qualitative study |
| title_short | Views on and experiences with medicinal cannabis among Canadian veterans who live with pain: A qualitative study |
| title_sort | views on and experiences with medicinal cannabis among canadian veterans who live with pain a qualitative study |
| topic | Cannabinoids medical cannabis chronic pain Veterans military qualitative research |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/24740527.2023.2232838 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidpstorey viewsonandexperienceswithmedicinalcannabisamongcanadianveteranswholivewithpainaqualitativestudy AT natalierkeelervilla viewsonandexperienceswithmedicinalcannabisamongcanadianveteranswholivewithpainaqualitativestudy AT nickharris viewsonandexperienceswithmedicinalcannabisamongcanadianveteranswholivewithpainaqualitativestudy AT jenniferanthonypillai viewsonandexperienceswithmedicinalcannabisamongcanadianveteranswholivewithpainaqualitativestudy AT gregoryktippin viewsonandexperienceswithmedicinalcannabisamongcanadianveteranswholivewithpainaqualitativestudy AT vikasparihar viewsonandexperienceswithmedicinalcannabisamongcanadianveteranswholivewithpainaqualitativestudy AT joshuaarash viewsonandexperienceswithmedicinalcannabisamongcanadianveteranswholivewithpainaqualitativestudy |