An Exploratory Study of Medical Marijuana’s Impact on Patients With Chronic Pain Beyond an Individual’s Level of Function: Implications for Life Care Planning
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: Studies examining the efficacy of medical marijuana show limited evidence of its therapeutic potential and narrowly focuses on how medical marijuana improves level of functioning and ignores other key aspects of health-related quality of life. As life care planners consider disability beyond level of function, this article provides considerations for medical marijuana as a potential treatment to improve quality of life. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of medical marijuana beyond the level of functioning among individuals with chronic pain. A direct content analysis was used to examine semi-structured interviews about medical marijuana use and experiences among individuals with chronic pain. Five themes were analyzed within the data: health impact of medical marijuana, cost, quality of life, social support, and accessibility. Three subthemes emerged from the data that were not initially predicted in the direct content analysis: opioids and addiction, social media and travel. Participants experienced an improvement in quality of life because of medical marijuana, and described its use as an opioid replacement in treating chronic pain. Results from this study provide a context for life care planners when considering medical marijuana as a treatment option for individuals with disabilities living with chronic pain.
Source: Journal of Life Care Planning
DOI: 10.70385/001c.151640
Institutions: University of Florida Health, University of Florida
Language: English
Subfield: Pharmacology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4416840002