Parents Using Medical Cannabis: Helps With Parenting, But Stigma Creates Stress
Parents who are medical cannabis patients reported it helped their parenting through symptom relief and improved patience, but feared legal consequences and social stigma.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
In 24 qualitative interviews, parents who were medical cannabis patients in Pennsylvania described cannabis as supporting their parental role through symptom reduction, mood improvement, and increased patience. However, fear of legal consequences and stigma around their use created strain on their identity as parents.
Key Numbers
24 parent interviews conducted. Parents reported cannabis improved mood, reduced physical/psychological symptoms, and increased patience with children. Fear of legal consequences and stigma were primary sources of role strain.
How They Did This
Qualitative study using 24 semi-structured interviews with parents from an ongoing registry study of medical cannabis patients in Pennsylvania. Analyzed using role strain theory with a priori and emergent coding.
Why This Research Matters
As more states legalize medical cannabis, the number of parents using it grows. Understanding the tension between therapeutic benefit and social stigma helps inform both policy and clinical conversations.
The Bigger Picture
The disconnect between legal medical cannabis use and persistent social stigma creates a unique stressor for parents. This mirrors broader societal ambivalence about cannabis, where legal access hasn't fully normalized use.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small qualitative sample (24 interviews). Pennsylvania-specific legal context. Self-selected participants from a registry study. Predominantly represents patients willing to discuss their use. No comparison group of non-parent patients.
Questions This Raises
- ?How do race and ethnicity intersect with stigma experiences for parent medical cannabis patients?
- ?Does stigma differ in states with recreational legalization?
- ?How do children perceive their parents' medical cannabis use?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Cannabis improved patience and symptom management but stigma strained parenting identity
- Evidence Grade:
- Small qualitative study in a single state; valuable for understanding lived experience but not generalizable.
- Study Age:
- 2025 study
- Original Title:
- Role Strain Among Parents Who are Medical Cannabis Patients in Pennsylvania.
- Published In:
- Journal of psychoactive drugs, 1-9 (2025)
- Authors:
- Finkelstein, Maddy(3), Salerno Valdez, Elizabeth, Cordingley, Olivia(2), Pagán, Samantha, Ataiants, Janna, Lankenau, Stephen E
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06460
Evidence Hierarchy
Uses interviews or focus groups to understand experiences in depth.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How did medical cannabis help parenting?
Parents reported that symptom relief (both physical and psychological), mood improvement, and increased patience with their children made them feel like better parents.
What were the main concerns?
Fear of legal consequences (such as child protective services involvement) and social stigma were the primary sources of stress, even though their cannabis use was legally authorized.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06460APA
Finkelstein, Maddy; Salerno Valdez, Elizabeth; Cordingley, Olivia; Pagán, Samantha; Ataiants, Janna; Lankenau, Stephen E. (2025). Role Strain Among Parents Who are Medical Cannabis Patients in Pennsylvania.. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2025.2550293
MLA
Finkelstein, Maddy, et al. "Role Strain Among Parents Who are Medical Cannabis Patients in Pennsylvania.." Journal of psychoactive drugs, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2025.2550293
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Role Strain Among Parents Who are Medical Cannabis Patients ..." RTHC-06460. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/finkelstein-2025-role-strain-among-parents
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.