Medical cannabis patients used an average of 3.4 cannabis products alongside 3.7 other medications over 12 months, highlighting the complexity of managing polypharmacy.
Pharmacists, primary care physicians, and medical cannabis researchers interested in drug interaction risks.
3.4 cannabis + 3.7 medicationsaverage products and concomitant medications used by medical cannabis patients in Pennsylvania
What the researchers found
Participants used multiple MC products (mean 3.41 at baseline) alongside multiple medications (mean 3.76), with antidepressants (29.1%), analgesics (22.1%), and anxiolytics (17.8%) among the most common concomitant medications.
Why it matters
Understanding what other medications medical cannabis patients take is essential for identifying potential drug interactions and ensuring safe treatment.
The numbers in context
213 baseline participants; 175 completed 12-month follow-up (82% retention). Mean age 41.3 years, 54.5% female. Mean 3.41 MC products at baseline, 3.47 at 12 months. Mean 3.76 medications at baseline, 3.65 at 12 months.
How the study worked
Observational longitudinal study with surveys at baseline, 1, 6, and 12 months among patients enrolled in Pennsylvania Department of Health Medical Marijuana Program.
Who was studied
213 medical cannabis patients in Pennsylvania, mean age 41.3 years, 54.5% female, with serious medical conditions.
What this study cannot tell us
Self-reported medication use may be incomplete. Single state program limits generalizability. No outcomes data on drug interactions. Relatively small sample size.
How to read the evidence
Longitudinal observational study with good retention (82%) but small sample and self-reported data.
When this study was published
Study from the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program with 12-month follow-up.
The bigger picture
As medical cannabis programs grow, the reality that patients use multiple cannabis products alongside multiple conventional medications demands better drug interaction research and clinical guidance.
Replication
Single-state study; replication across different medical cannabis programs needed.
Funding
Not specified in abstract
Conflicts of interest
Not specified in abstract
Questions still open
- Are there clinically significant interactions between these common medication combinations?
- Do patients discuss their full medication regimens, including cannabis, with all their healthcare providers?
Read the original research
A Longitudinal Observational Study of Medical Cannabis Use and Polypharmacy among Patients Presenting to Dispensaries in Pennsylvania.
Biomedicines, 11(1)
Citation
Hajjar, Emily R; Herens, Allison; Kelly, Erin L; Madden, Kayla; Lungen, Jessica M; Worster, Brooke K. (2023). A Longitudinal Observational Study of Medical Cannabis Use and Polypharmacy among Patients Presenting to Dispensaries in Pennsylvania.. Biomedicines, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11010158