Smoke and Mirrors: What do persistent pain patients think of medicinal cannabis?

Introduction. It is evident that public support towards cannabis use for medicinal purposes has changed, In Australia, recent polls show that public support has increased over time, with majority of Australians believing cannabis should be legalised for medicinal purposes. Aims. This study aims to explore the attitudes and perceptions of persistent pain patients to medicinal cannabis and its integration into routine medical treatment for persistent pain. Methods. 25-item online survey disseminated through social media, was designed to query persistent pain patient’s perceptions on medicinal cannabis. A mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods have been used to analyse the responses. Results. 61% of respondents believe that medicinal cannabis is more effective for chronic pain compared to current treatment options. 77% of participants would try medicinal cannabis if it was readily available to them and almost half of participants (44%) indicated that self-directed online research helped to inform their decision on the efficacy of medicinal cannabis. Discussion. This research highlights the attitudes of persistent pain patients in Australia on the use of medicinal cannabis. It shows the desire of this patient group to have access to medicinal cannabis as a treatment option for their chronic pain, which they believe to be more effective than current options