A Gender- and Age-Based Analysis of Cannabis Use for Pain and Mental Health in a Large Canadian Naturalistic Sample
Frey, B., Minuzzi, L., MacKillop, J, Pallester, P., & Kuhathasan, N.
This study examined cannabis use for the management of pain (n = 1246) and mental health (n = 1307) conditions in people in Canada over the age of 18. The researchers used data from a cannabis tracking app called Strainprint® which allows individuals to track their therapeutic cannabis use and report on symptom improvement. Cannabis use was examined using descriptive data from the app (i.e., strain category, product forms, consumption method), and analyses were broken down by age and gender.
The researchers found that, in terms of age and gender, women aged 25-34 were more likely to report using cannabis for pain and mental health conditions than any other group. In terms of consumption method, women most frequently used cannabis via vape and men most frequently used cannabis by smoking, to manage mental health conditions. To manage pain, women and men most frequently used cannabis via vape. Youth aged 25 and under were more likely to consume cannabis by smoking for both mental health and pain conditions.
The researchers conducted an additional analysis aimed at predicting symptom improvement following cannabis use using machine-learning techniques. The researchers recommend that stakeholders look into the physical and mental health management motivations that underlie cannabis use so that policies, regulations, and programs can reflect this reality.
Publications:
Kuhathasan, N., Ballester, P. L., Minuzzi, L., MacKillop, J., & Frey, B. N. (2023). Predictors of perceived symptom change with acute cannabis use for mental health conditions in a naturalistic sample: A machine learning approach. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 122, 152377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2023.152377
Addressing potential negative impacts from cannabis legalization: Clinical utility of a brief self-directed intervention for cannabis misuse