Reasons for cannabis use among adults with disabilities: Findings from the 2023-2024 National Survey on Health and...

People with disabilities disproportionately use cannabis compared to those without a disability; however, little is known about reasons for use among people with disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and reasons for cannabis use among people with disabilities.

Data from Wave 5 (2023-2024) of the National Survey on Health and Disability (n = 1919), a national online survey of adults aged 18+ who self-identify as living with a disability, were used to estimate the prevalence and reasons for cannabis use among those with any disability and six self-reported limitations (cognitive, hearing, independent living, mobility, self-care, vision). Open-ended responses were analyzed using an inductive content analysis to create themes.

The prevalence of current cannabis use among survey respondents was 21.9 % and people with cognitive disabilities reported the highest proportion (28.7 %). The most prevalent common reasons for current cannabis use across all domains were to help with pain (71.9 %) and to relax or relieve tension (60.2 %). Analysis of open-ended responses for cannabis use reasons yielded three main themes: medicinal reasons, contextual reasons, and primarily as sensory moderator. Specific medical reasons for using cannabis included assistance with health-related conditions such as migraines, nausea, muscle spasms, seizures, mental health concerns, and sleep disturbances.

Cannabis use is prevalent across disability domains and the majority of respondents note they use cannabis to help with pain and to relax or relieve tension. Findings highlight the need to monitor cannabis use for pain relief among this population.