Survey reveals why some people choose unregulated cannabis to treat medical conditions.

Survey reveals why some people choose unregulated cannabis to treat medical conditions.

The use of medical cannabis has increased since it became available to patients in Utah in 2020. A medical cannabis card, which can be prescribed for difficult-to-treat conditions such as PTSD and chronic pain, allows a patient to purchase approved cannabis products from designated pharmacies.

However, some people whose medical conditions permit the use of medical cannabis use unregulated products. This can lead to unexpected health risks from additives and contaminants.

A new survey of over 200 people participating in Utah's medical cannabis program shows why some people are turning to unregulated cannabis to treat their medical conditions. This represents a first step in reducing the barriers to access to safer, licensed products.

The results were inJournal of Cannabis Researchpublished.

The high cost of health

The cost of legal cannabis is a significant hurdle for many participants who use illegal cannabis. Monitoring and regulating cannabis costs money, meaning that illegal cannabis can often be much cheaper than regulated products.

The high cost of legal cannabis products can cause a vicious cycle of economic and health consequences, researchers say. The chronic diseases that are treated with medical cannabis, such as chronic pain or PTSD, often make it difficult to hold a job, so patients seeking relief are more likely to experience economic hardship. However, purchasing cheap, unregulated products can increase the risk of worsening your health.

There is this exchange. It's like, 'Okay, I have a chronic illness that makes it difficult for me to work, so I have limited resources. I can more easily afford the stuff from my friend down the street, but the stuff there could make me sicker in the long run.’ This creates a dilemma that leads to health disparities.

Jerry Cochran, PhD, lead author of the study, professor of epidemiology and director of the Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge and Advocacy (PARCKA) Program, University of Utah

Without an established quality control process, illegal products can fluctuate unpredictably in CBD and THC levels. Illegal products may also contain undeclared additives or contaminants, such as mold, pesticides or heavy metals, which can worsen chronic illnesses.

Given the dangers of illegal cannabis and the newness of Utah's medical cannabis program, it is particularly important to conduct research to understand how people use the program, says Lirit Franks, PhD, co-author of the study and research development associate at PARCKA. “It creates accountability,” Franks says. “You see areas for improvement, see what works, and see areas for future research that could be very important.”

Knowledge is power

Although cost is a hurdle, research shows that access to quality information greatly helps people avoid illegal products. People who primarily use the government website for cannabis information are much more likely to use legal cannabis products. The authors say this is a promising sign: When people are given accurate, unbiased information rather than relying on cannabis marketing materials, they tend to choose safer products.

“If you can remove all the biases and just give people good, accurate information about medical cannabis, people will take advantage of the medical cannabis program,” Cochran says.

The results suggest that better communication of unbiased information could help people make safer decisions. If providers can ensure patients have access to information resources, Cochran says, "they are doing a good job of protecting patients and using safe products."

Increase security by removing barriers

Researchers believe that understanding patients' difficulties in accessing the products they need can guide strategies to make the process easier. For example, lowering the cost of renewing an existing cannabis card, as cost is a key barrier, could help patients continue to purchase regulated, safe products.

"If we pay attention to what's in the way, we may be able to break down those barriers and give people access to safer products," says Franks.

The results were inJournal of Cannabis Researchpublished entitled “Understanding the Motivations for Illegal Medical Cannabis Use: An Exploratory Analysis in a Medical Cannabis Program.”

Funding to support this exploratory analysis was provided by the Utah Department of Health under contract #236204 entitled “Utah Medical Cannabis: A Prospective Cohort Evaluation.” The funder had no influence on the design, data collection, or data analysis. The content of this analysis does not reflect the views of the funder.

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