ArticleBMC health services research2020
The impact of legalization of access to recreational Cannabis on Canadian medical users with Cancer.
Article in BMC health services research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 38 citations in OpenAlex.
- [Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cannabis use in young adults and general population: a systematic review].Revista espanola de salud publica · 2023Pooled it
- Smartphone Apps for Cannabis Cessation: Quality Assessment and Content Analysis.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Article
- Cannabis in Hematology Survey Study (CHESS): A Longitudinal Investigation on Uses, Attitudes, and Outcomes of Cannabis Among Hematology Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Effects of cannabinoids on immune checkpoint inhibitor response: CCTG pooled analysis of individual patient data.Immunotherapy · 2025Article
- A cross-sectional survey of the prevalence and patterns of using cannabis as a sleep aid in Canadian cancer survivors.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2025Article
- Data quality in a survey of registered medical cannabis users with cancer: nonresponse and measurement error.Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Monographs · 2024Article
- Self-reported knowledge of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol concentration in cannabis products among cancer patients and survivors.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024Article
- Health Literacy and Demand for Medical Cannabis use among Colorectal Cancer Patients in Northern Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study.Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP · 2024Article
- Patterns of cannabis use, perception of harm, and perceived impact of legislative change in an online sample of young adults from Lebanon: insight on recreational users versus dual motive users.Harm reduction journal · 2024Article
- Planting the seeds for success: A qualitative study exploring primary healthcare providers' perceptions about medical cannabis.PloS one · 2024Article
- The Abundant Phytocannabinoids in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Therapeutic Targets and Molecular Processes Identified Using Integrated Bioinformatics and Network Pharmacology.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Longitudinal trajectories of marijuana use in tobacco products among young adult Texas college students from 2015 to 2019.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2023Article
- Article
- Factors influencing Canadian oncology nurses discussing cannabis use with patients experiencing chemotherapy-induced nausea.Canadian oncology nursing journal = Revue canadienne de nursing oncologique · 2023Article
- Clinical Research Evidence Supporting Administration and Dosing Recommendations of Medicinal Cannabis as Analgesic in Cancer Patients.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Review
- Healthcare practitioner perceptions on barriers impacting cannabis prescribing practices.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2022Article
- Antibacterial Effects of Phytocannabinoids.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- Cannabis use among Danish patients with cancer: a cross-sectional survey of sociodemographic traits, quality of life, and patient experiences.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022Article
- The impact of non-medical cannabis legalization and other exposures on retention in longitudinal cannabis research: a survival analysis of a prospective study of Canadian medical cannabis patients.Journal of cannabis research · 2021Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCanada legalized cannabis use for medical purposes in 1999. Legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes in October 2018 offered the opportunity to assess the impact of recreational legalization on cancer patients' patterns of use to identify learning points that could be helpful to other countries considering similar legislation.
methodTwo identical anonymous cross-sectional surveys were administered to cancer patients in British Columbia 2 months before and 3 months following legalization, with the same eligibility criteria. The prevalence of medical cannabis use, the distribution of symptoms leading to use, the most common types of cannabis products and sources, reasons for stopping using cannabis, and barriers to access were assessed.
resultsThe overall response rate was 27%. Both cohorts were similar regarding age (median = 66 yrs), gender (53% female), and education (approximately 85% of participants had an education level of high school graduation and higher). Respondents had multiple motives for taking cannabis, including to manage multiple symptoms, to treat cancer, and for recreational reasons. The majority of patients in both surveys did not use the legal medical access system. Comparison of the two cohorts showed that after legalization the prevalence of current cannabis use increased by 26% (23·1% to 29·1%, p-value 0·01), including an increased disclosure of recreational motive for use, from 32 to 40%. However, in the post-legalization cohort more Current Users reported problems getting cannabis (18%) than the pre-legalization cohort (8%), (p-value < 0·01). The most common barrier cited was lack of available preferred products, including edibles, as these were only available from illegal dispensaries.
conclusionsResults showed that legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes may have an impact on those who use medical cannabis. Impacts include an increase in prevalence of use; problems accessing preferred products legally; higher cost, and difficulties using a legal access system. The desired goal of regulation in reducing harms from use of illegal cannabis products are unlikely to be achieved if the legal process is less attractive to patients than use of illegal sources.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.