Cannabis stigma and symptom management considerations in cancer survivors: a mixed-methods exploration of patient perspectives.

This item covers developments relevant to cannabis medicine and clinical practice. Clinicians monitoring evidence in this area should review the source material.

This study aims to assess for indications of stigma and attitudes toward cannabis among cancer survivors (CS) who use or consider the use of cannabis. This study employed a convergent, parallel mixed methods design utilizing focus group and questionnaire data to assess the presence of stigma among a sample of CS (n = 23) who use (n = 10) and do not use (n = 13) cannabis to manage symptoms. CS were recruited from a multi-site observational study in the Northeast U.S. region that assesses cannabis use among oncology patients. A total of 23 CS participated in this study. In general, this sample appeared to have positive attitudes towards cannabis, as indicated by quantitative results, and most CS felt accepting or neutral about other CS using cannabis, irrespective of whether they used or not. Most CS did not indicate experiences of stigma for cannabis use, did not feel judged by their medical providers, and indicated a feeling of empowerment to do whatever was needed to feel better. Howe

“This is a development worth tracking. The clinical implications will become clearer as more evidence accumulates.”

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