Cannabis use shifted from recreational to medical purposes after spinal cord injury | Research

The takeaway

Among 80 Canadians with spinal cord injury, 42.5% used cannabis post-injury, shifting from recreational to pain relief and sleep, with edibles replacing smoking as the preferred method.

Rehabilitation physicians, spinal cord injury specialists, pain management clinicians

42.5% used cannabis post-injury vs 25% general population

What the researchers found

Of 80 Canadian adults with spinal cord injury, 42.5% reported cannabis use post-injury and 37.5% were current users, exceeding the general Canadian population rate of 25%. Post-injury, the primary reasons for use shifted from recreation (25%) to pain relief (36.3%) and sleep improvement (30%). Users reported moderate perceived effectiveness. Edibles replaced smoking as the most common consumption method post-injury. Adverse events were generally mild and infrequent, with fatigue the most common (11.3%).

Why it matters

Spinal cord injury often produces chronic pain and sleep disruption that are difficult to treat with conventional medications. The shift from recreational to therapeutic use and from smoking to edibles reflects how injury changes cannabis use patterns, information that clinicians need to provide informed guidance.

The numbers in context

n=80 (61.2% men; mean age 57.7); 42.5% used cannabis post-injury; 37.5% current users (vs 25% general population); reasons shifted to pain (36.3%) and sleep (30%); fatigue most common side effect (11.3%)

How the study worked

Online survey of Canadian adults with any level or severity of spinal cord injury (N=80). Assessed prevalence, frequency, reasons for use, perceived effectiveness, adverse events, and consumption modality.

What this study cannot tell us

Small sample (n=80) recruited online, introducing selection bias. Self-reported outcomes without clinical validation. No comparison group or standardized outcome measures. Cannot assess actual efficacy, only perceived effectiveness.

How to read the evidence

Small online survey provides preliminary descriptive data about cannabis use patterns in SCI but cannot establish efficacy or generalizability.

When this study was published

2025 publication

The bigger picture

People with spinal cord injuries are adopting cannabis therapeutically at rates well above the general population, yet clinical evidence to guide their use remains limited. This survey captures the lived experience that clinical trials have not yet addressed.

Questions still open

Would controlled trials of cannabis for SCI-related pain and sleep disruption confirm the moderate effectiveness users report? What drives the shift from smoking to edibles post-injury?

Common questions

Why did cannabis use change after spinal cord injury?

Before injury, recreation was the primary reason for use (25%). After injury, pain relief (36.3%) and sleep improvement (30%) became the dominant motivations, reflecting the chronic symptoms associated with SCI.

Were there safety concerns?

Adverse events were generally mild and infrequent, with fatigue (11.3%) being the most common. However, without controlled comparisons, the full safety profile in this population remains uncertain.

Read the original research

Understanding Cannabis Use After Spinal Cord Injury: A Canadian Survey Study.

Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation, 7(4), 100498

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Allison, David J; Ebrahimzadeh, Sanam; Agudelo, Alexandria Roa; Lawson, Arden; Kassem, Daad; Loh, Eldon. (2025). Understanding Cannabis Use After Spinal Cord Injury: A Canadian Survey Study.. Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation, 7(4), 100498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arrct.2025.100498