Stephanie C Tung1,2, Manan M Nayak1,3, Peter R Chai1,4,5, James Tulsky1,6, Timothy S Sannes1,2, Miryam Yusufov1,2, Ilana M Braun1,2. 1. Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Faber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 3. The Phyllis F. Cantor Center for Research in Nursing and Patient Care Services, Dana-Faber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 4. Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5. The Koch Institute for Integrated Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 6. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Abstract
Background: Patients with cancer employ medicinal cannabis for poly-symptom management and as cancer-directed therapy. Little is known about their perspectives on the medicinal cannabis "high." Methods: Qualitative interviews across eight states with medicinal cannabis users with physician-verified cancer diagnoses (n = 24). Results: Every participant referenced and 15 spoke in depth about the medicinal cannabis "high." Antitheticals characterized it: sleepiness versus heightened attention; calm versus "agitation." The intensity of the "high" served as a proxy metric by which participant's judged medicinal cannabis' cancer-directed therapy and symptom management efficacies. Overall, however, study participants viewed the "high" as a barrier to medicinal cannabis use and worked to avoid experiencing for prolonged periods. Conclusions: The "high" is central to the manner with which patients with cancer experience medicinal cannabis. Clinicians should be aware that patients may struggle to fine-tune medicinal cannabis dosing in the setting of the "high," and this challenge should be included in clinical discussions regarding oncological medicinal cannabis use.
Background: Patients with cancer employ medicinal cannabis for poly-symptom management and as cancer-directed therapy. Little is known about their perspectives on the medicinal cannabis "high." Methods: Qualitative interviews across eight states with medicinal cannabis users with physician-verified cancer diagnoses (n = 24). Results: Every participant referenced and 15 spoke in depth about the medicinal cannabis "high." Antitheticals characterized it: sleepiness versus heightened attention; calm versus "agitation." The intensity of the "high" served as a proxy metric by which participant's judged medicinal cannabis' cancer-directed therapy and symptom management efficacies. Overall, however, study participants viewed the "high" as a barrier to medicinal cannabis use and worked to avoid experiencing for prolonged periods. Conclusions: The "high" is central to the manner with which patients with cancer experience medicinal cannabis. Clinicians should be aware that patients may struggle to fine-tune medicinal cannabis dosing in the setting of the "high," and this challenge should be included in clinical discussions regarding oncological medicinal cannabis use.
Entities:
Keywords:
cancer; cannabis; complementary and alternative medicine; marijuana; oncology; symptom management