Israeli patients describe complex coping strategies around both the benefits and stigma of medical cannabis
Medical cannabis patients with chronic pain or PTSD developed elaborate coping mechanisms for both the drug's adverse effects and the social stigma of use, including concealment, justification, and rejection of "pothead" identity.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Two main themes emerged: (1) Coping with adverse effects through concealment, justification, protective behavioral strategies, and rejection of stigmatized identity; and (2) Utilizing positive effects including using cannabis to forget/disconnect, cope with helplessness, and build camaraderie with other patients against perceived institutional barriers.
Key Numbers
25 participants, predominantly male. Two main themes with seven sub-themes. Patients used MC for chronic pain or PTSD.
How They Did This
In-depth semi-structured interviews with 25 Israeli medicinal cannabis patients (predominantly men) prescribed MC for chronic pain or PTSD. Thematic analysis characterized narratives around long-term MC use.
Why This Research Matters
Medical cannabis is typically studied through clinical outcomes, but this qualitative work reveals the psychological and social complexity of long-term therapeutic use. Patients are not passive recipients but actively manage both the benefits and costs of their treatment.
The Bigger Picture
The tension between therapeutic benefit and social stigma creates a unique patient experience in medical cannabis. Patients essentially develop dual identities, as legitimate patients and as people who must hide or justify their treatment.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Predominantly male sample in Israel, limiting generalizability. Self-selected participants willing to discuss their experiences. No comparison with other stigmatized medications. Cultural context may differ from other countries.
Questions This Raises
- ?How does stigma around medical cannabis affect treatment adherence and outcomes?
- ?Would normalization of medical cannabis reduce the psychological burden these patients describe?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- patients simultaneously managed adverse drug effects and social stigma of medical cannabis use through concealment, justification, and community-building
- Evidence Grade:
- Rich qualitative data from in-depth interviews, but small predominantly male sample in one country limits generalizability.
- Study Age:
- 2025 publication.
- Original Title:
- A Qualitative Investigation Into the Experiences of Medicinal Cannabis Use Among Chronic Pain and PTSD Patients in Israel.
- Published In:
- Qualitative health research, 10497323251361328 (2025)
- Authors:
- Gliksberg, Or(4), Hulaihel, Amany, Sznitman, Sharon R(12), Brill, Silviu, Amit, Ben H, Lev-Ran, Shaul, Kushnir, Talma, Feingold, Daniel
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06550
Evidence Hierarchy
Uses interviews or focus groups to understand experiences in depth.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Why do medical cannabis patients feel stigmatized?
Despite legal prescriptions, medical cannabis carries associations with recreational drug use. Patients described having to justify their treatment to family, employers, and even other healthcare providers who viewed their use skeptically.
How do patients cope with cannabis side effects?
Patients developed practical strategies including timing use around responsibilities, titrating doses carefully, and planning activities around expected impairment. Many used these strategies without clinical guidance, developing their own protocols through trial and error.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- CBD-oil-quality-guide
- anxiety-medication-after-quitting-weed
- cannabis-chemotherapy-nausea
- cannabis-chronic-pain-research
- cannabis-epilepsy-CBD-Epidiolex
- cbd-anxiety-research-evidence
- cbd-for-weed-withdrawal
- cbd-vs-thc-difference
- medical-benefits-of-cannabis
- quitting-weed-before-surgery
- quitting-weed-medication-interactions
- quitting-weed-pregnancy
- quitting-weed-pregnant
- seniors-older-adults-cannabis-risks-medications
- weed-breastfeeding-THC-breast-milk
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06550APA
Gliksberg, Or; Hulaihel, Amany; Sznitman, Sharon R; Brill, Silviu; Amit, Ben H; Lev-Ran, Shaul; Kushnir, Talma; Feingold, Daniel. (2025). A Qualitative Investigation Into the Experiences of Medicinal Cannabis Use Among Chronic Pain and PTSD Patients in Israel.. Qualitative health research, 10497323251361328. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323251361328
MLA
Gliksberg, Or, et al. "A Qualitative Investigation Into the Experiences of Medicinal Cannabis Use Among Chronic Pain and PTSD Patients in Israel.." Qualitative health research, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323251361328
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "A Qualitative Investigation Into the Experiences of Medicina..." RTHC-06550. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/gliksberg-2025-a-qualitative-investigation-into
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.