Previous research shows that youths with chronic medical conditions are more likely to use cannabis than their healthy peers. Studies also show that increased pain is linked to increased substance use. A better understanding of how young people with chronic pain use cannabis- and especially if they use it to treat symptoms- could inform education strategies around cannabis use.
In the current study, researchers analyzed data from a cross-sectional survey involving 245 adolescents aged 14 to 19 years old with chronic pain who visited a pain treatment clinic in the US. Survey responses included pain characteristics, frequency and reason for cannabis use, adverse effects, and beliefs about cannabis.
Of the cohort, 48 reported using the drug to manage chronic pain. Age of first cannabis use ranged from 7 to 19 years, and averaged at 15.3 years. Of those who used cannabis, 90% reported past-year use, and 65% reported past-month use. Just over half of teens reported using edibles, while 45% and 44% reported using vapes and joints, respectively.
The researchers noted that adolescents using cannabis tended to be around a year older and were more likely to be male. They also reported more pain interference in daily life and higher rates of depressive symptoms than participants who did not use cannabis.
“Despite limited evidence supporting cannabis for pain, sleep, or anxiety, these findings suggest many youths with pain use it instrumentally, underscoring the need for education on self-medication risks and development of alternative coping strategies,” wrote the researchers in their study.
Sources: Medscape, JAMA Network Open
