What Motivates Chronic Pain Patients to Consider Medical Cannabis? | Research

The takeaway

Current pain levels, past experience with pain relief, and prior cannabis use are the strongest predictors of intention to use medical cannabis for chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Pain management clinicians, medical cannabis prescribers, health behavior researchers

What the researchers found

A Theory of Planned Behavior model explained 51% of the intention to use medical cannabis for chronic musculoskeletal pain. Key predictors were current pain levels, prior experience of pain reduction, and prior cannabis use, along with social norms, perceived ability to use, and attitudes toward medical cannabis.

Why it matters

Understanding why pain patients consider medical cannabis helps healthcare providers have better conversations about treatment options — and helps identify patients who might benefit from or be at risk with cannabis use.

The numbers in context

226 respondents, 160 included in final analysis. TPB model explained 51% of behavioral intention. Three exogenous factors: current pain, prior pain reduction experience, and prior cannabis use.

How the study worked

Questionnaire study based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, developed from prior qualitative interviews. 226 adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain in Canada completed an online questionnaire; 160 were included in final analysis using structural equation modeling.

What this study cannot tell us

Cross-sectional design limits causal inference. Online convenience sample may not represent all chronic pain patients. Self-reported data subject to recall and social desirability bias. Canadian context may not generalize globally.

How to read the evidence

Well-validated theoretical framework with reasonable sample size, though cross-sectional design and self-selection limit causal conclusions.

When this study was published

Published 2026, reflecting current Canadian medical cannabis landscape.

The bigger picture

As self-medication with cannabis becomes more common, understanding patient motivations isn't just academic — it's essential for harm reduction. Patients driven primarily by pain severity may need different guidance than those influenced by social norms.

Questions still open

How do healthcare provider attitudes influence patients' intentions? Would targeted education change behavioral intentions among pain patients? Do motivational factors differ between medical and self-medication cannabis use?

Common questions

Why do people with chronic pain want to try medical cannabis?

The strongest motivators are how much pain they're currently experiencing, whether they've previously gotten pain relief from cannabis, and whether they've used cannabis before. Social norms and perceived ability to access it also play roles.

Can doctors predict which pain patients will seek medical cannabis?

This study's model explained over half of patients' intentions, suggesting that pain severity, prior cannabis experience, and social/attitudinal factors could help clinicians identify patients likely to pursue medical cannabis.

Read the original research

The theory of planned behavior partly explains why adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain consider using medical cannabis for pain management.

Scientific reports, 16(1), 3542

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Kröger, Edeltraut; Carmichael, Pierre-Hugues; Guillaumie, Laurence; Jauvin, Nathalie; Dagenais, Pierre; Lacasse, Anaïs; Dionne, Clermont E. (2026). The theory of planned behavior partly explains why adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain consider using medical cannabis for pain management.. Scientific reports, 16(1), 3542. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33616-0