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

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%).

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.

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.

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.

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.