Chronic Pain Patients Had Unanswered Questions About Medical Cannabis Effectiveness, Safety, and Cost | Research

The takeaway

Focus groups revealed that people with chronic pain, whether or not they used medical cannabis, shared concerns about efficacy, dosing, safety, stigma, cost, and their healthcare providers' knowledge gaps.

Chronic pain patients considering medical cannabis and healthcare providers counseling them.

7 key themes emerged, with unanswered questions common even among current users

What the researchers found

Across 28 participants in focus groups, seven key themes emerged: efficacy, safety, stigma, cost, convenience, government/legal considerations, and interactions with healthcare providers. Themes were similar whether participants had or had not used medical cannabis, though emphasis varied. A major finding was that even current users had significant unanswered questions.

Why it matters

Despite growing medical cannabis use for chronic pain, this study reveals that patients on both sides of the decision feel they lack adequate information to make informed choices, highlighting a gap between policy expansion and patient education.

The numbers in context

28 participants across three focus groups. Seven key themes identified. Research questions were derived from identified themes to guide future patient-centered research.

How the study worked

Qualitative focus-group study with three participant groups: chronic pain patients who had used medical cannabis, chronic pain patients who had not, and people without chronic pain who used cannabis for other conditions. Used semi-structured facilitator questionnaire with thematic analysis via NVivo 12.

What this study cannot tell us

Small sample size (28 participants). Qualitative design provides depth but not generalizability. Convenience sampling may not capture the full range of patient perspectives.

How to read the evidence

Preliminary: small qualitative study providing rich thematic data but not generalizable findings.

When this study was published

2025 study.

The bigger picture

As medical cannabis programs expand, the gap between access and evidence-based guidance remains a central challenge. Patients are making treatment decisions without the information they need, and their healthcare providers often cannot fill those gaps.

Questions still open

How can healthcare providers be better equipped to counsel patients about medical cannabis? What specific dosing and formulation research would most help patients make informed decisions?

Common questions

Did people who used medical cannabis feel satisfied with it?

Even users had significant unanswered questions about efficacy, the right formulation, dosing, and safety, suggesting satisfaction was incomplete.

What was the biggest barrier to using medical cannabis?

Multiple barriers emerged including cost, stigma, legal uncertainty, and a lack of guidance from healthcare providers who often felt unprepared to counsel patients about cannabis.

Read the original research

Patient-centered approach to evaluating the role of medical cannabis in the treatment of chronic pain.

Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 60, 101996

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Liang, Connie; Basappa, Sapna; Tucker, Shannon; Pincus, Kathleen J. (2025). Patient-centered approach to evaluating the role of medical cannabis in the treatment of chronic pain.. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 60, 101996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2025.101996