Patients’ perceived benefit and side effects from the use of medicinal cannabis – a cross-sectional survey study from Denmark
Frederik Rosenbæk 1, Line Bjørnskov Pedersen 1 2, Sonja Wehberg 1, Jesper Bo Nielsen 1, Jens Søndergaard 1
- 1Research Unit of General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark.
- 2Department of Public Health, DaCHE – Danish Centre for Health Economics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark.
Affiliationer
Objectives
Medicinal cannabis (MC) has recently been legalized in a growing number of countries. While MC is considered a potentially safe alternative or add-on to conventional treatments for pain, spasms, neuropathy, and chemotherapy-induced nausea/vomiting, evidence of its effectiveness and safety remains limited. This study aimed to assess patients’ perceived benefits and side effects of MC and explore patterns in side effect experiences.
Methods
We conducted a Danish nationwide online survey in 2020 among two groups of MC users: one with predefined diagnostic indications (neuropathic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea/vomiting, or painful spasms from multiple sclerosis/paraplegia) (n=258) and one with other indications (n=786). Perceived benefit and side effects were measured using self-reported responses. We compared perceived benefit to the number of side effects and used a heat plot correlation matrix and exploratory factor analysis to identify patterns. Predicted factor scores were used to compare perceived benefit relative to side effect profiles, stratified by indication group.
Results
Most patients (67 %) reported a moderate to large effect of MC. Over half experienced side effects, with more than 10 % reporting three or more. Side effects were equally common among patients reporting a moderate to large vs. no to minor effect (p=0.27 and 0.68 for predefined and other indications). Side effects clustered into four groups: cognitive dysfunction, dizziness, xerostomia, and feeling “high.” These were not related to perceived benefit.
Conclusions
Most patients reported a moderate to large effect from MC. Over one in ten experienced three or more side effects, which were unrelated to perceived treatment effect.
Keywords: medical cannabis; medicinal cannabis; patient experience; survey
Key points
- Many patients report a moderate to large benefit from treatment with at least one prescription of medicinal cannabis across a range of medical conditions.
- More than half of all patients experienced side effects from medicinal cannabis use, with 10–15 % reporting three or more.
- The experienced side effects from medicinal cannabis use were not related to the perceived benefit among the patients.