2018/05/09 Council Agenda Packet

Reiman,et al.;Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research 2017,2.1 162 http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/ca n.2017.0012 • perceived comparability of unwanted side effects, and Table 1. Sample Demographics how the stigma around cannabis impacts their decision N(%) to use it as a substitute. Male 1593 (55) 20-29 898(31) Sampling 30-39 666(23) The survey was administered through e-mail to a data- 4049 406(14) 50-59 406(14) base of 67,422 medical cannabis patients in the state of 60+ 435(15) California using the HelloMD patient database.HelloMD White(not Hispanic) 1854(64) Hispanic/Latino(a) 406(14) is a digital cannabis health and wellness platform that also African American 203 (7) provides Telehealth evaluations for medical cannabis rec- Asian 145 (5) Pacific Islander 29(1) ommendations to patients in California.The members of American Indian 58(2) the database received an invitation e-mail describing the Other ethnicity 203(7) study and the survey, along with a link to the survey. High schoogl 435 (15) Some colle a 1130(39) After clicking the link, respondents were taken to the College graduate 927(32) Qualtrics survey site where they could complete the sur- Graduate school 406(14) vey confidentially.A reminder e-mail with the link to the survey was sent out 2 weeks after the initial invitation their primary condition. However, when accounting for was sent. The survey was closed 4 weeks after the re- all pain-related conditions (menstrual cramps, fibro- minder e-mail was sent.As an incentive for participating, myalgia, back pain and arthritis, etc.) that rises to 63%. upon completion of the survey,respondents were asked if Common mental health conditions for which respon- they would like to enter a raffle for one of five Firefly va- dents used cannabis included anxiety (13%), insomnia porizers. If they wished to enter, they clicked on a link (9%), and depression (5%) (Fig. 1). Smoking was the that directed them to a form where they could enter most common method of ingestion with 50%of the sam- their name and e-mail address. At the completion of ple reporting using cannabis in that way.Thirty-one per- the sampling, five respondents were selected at random cent report vaporizing their cannabis, and 10% use and awarded the vaporizer. edibles. Three percent reported that they do not cur- rently use medical cannabis. Results Demographics Cannabis and opioids Of the 2897 participants, 55%were male.Eleven respon- Thirty percent of the sample (N=841) reported using dents identified as trans males and one identified as a an opioid-based pain medication currently or in the trans female. Fifty-three percent of the sample was be- past 6 months. Of those who have used opioids, 61% tween the ages of 20 and 39, 29% being over the age of reported using them with cannabis. Ninety-seven per- 50,and 15%over the age of 60.Sixty-four percent identi- cent of the sample "strongly agreed/agreed" that they fled as White, 14% Latino(a), and 7%African American. are able to decrease the amount of opioids they con- Most patients had some college education or completed sume when they also use cannabis. In addition, 89% college (71%) with 14% having completed postgraduate "strongly agreed/agreed" that taking opioids produces work. There were some significant differences between unwanted side effects such as constipation and nausea. the general sample and those reporting past 6 month Ninety-two percent of the sample "strongly agreed/ use of opioid and nonopioid-based pain medications. agreed" that cannabis has more tolerable side effects Whites were significantly more likely to report past 6 than the opioid-based medications they have taken. month use of both types of pain medication (p<0.001). Eighty-one percent"strongly agreed/agreed"that taking Age was also significantly related to past 6 month use cannabis by itself was more effective at treating their of these medications (p<0.001). Other significant deter- condition than taking cannabis with opioids. When minants were being a woman (p<0.001) and having a asked if cannabis produces the same amount of pain pain condition (p<0.001) (Table 1). relief as their opioid-based medications, 71% "strongly agreed/agreed" with that fact. Ninety-two percent of Condition and cannabis use the sample "strongly agreed/agreed" that they prefer Pain was the most common condition for which respon- cannabis to opioids for the treatment of their condition dents reported using cannabis with 16%reporting that as and 93% "strongly agreed/agreed" that they would be /,.