Perceived Risk of Medical Cannabis and Prescribed Cannabinoids for Chronic Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Quebec...

An increase in medical cannabis and prescribed cannabinoids use for chronic pain management has been observed in Canada in the past years. This study aimed to: 1) Describe clinicians' perceived risk associated with the use of medical cannabis and prescribed cannabinoids for the management of chronic pain; and 2) Identify sociodemographic and professional factors associated with perceived risk of adverse effects.

A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Quebec, Canada in 2022. A convenience sample of 207 clinicians was recruited (physicians/pharmacists/nurse practitioners). They were asked to rate the risk of adverse effects associated with medical cannabis (e.g., smoke, or oil) and prescribed cannabinoids (e.g., nabilone) on a scale of 0 to 10 (0: no risk, 10: very high risk), respectively. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify factors associated with perceived risk.

Average perceived risk associated with medical cannabis and prescribed cannabinoids were 5.93 ± 2.08 (median:6/10) and 5.76 ± 1.81 (median:6/10). Factors associated with higher medical cannabis perceived risk were working in primary care (β = 1.38, p = .0034) or in another care setting (β = 1.21, p = .0368) as compared to a hospital setting. As for prescribed cannabinoids, being a pharmacist (β = 1.14, p = .0452), working in a primary care setting (β = 0.83, p = .0408) and reporting more continuing education about chronic pain (β = 0.02, p = .0416) were associated with higher perceived risk. No sex differences were found in terms of perceived risk.

Considering the clinician's experience provide insights on cannabis risk as these professionals are at the forefront of patient care when they encounter adverse effects.