91% of Cannabis Users With Chronic Conditions Used It Medicinally During COVID-19 | Research

The takeaway

Among 1,466 cannabis users with chronic health conditions during the pandemic, 91% reported using cannabis to manage their condition, most commonly for sleep, pain, headaches, and nausea, despite most lacking a medical recommendation.

Primary care physicians, medical cannabis policy advocates, chronic disease management researchers.

91% of cannabis users with chronic conditions used it medicinally, but only 46% had a medical card

What the researchers found

Of 1,466 cannabis users with chronic conditions, 90.9% reported using cannabis medicinally. Only 46.1% had a medical card. The most common self-managed symptoms were sleep (69.2%), chronic noncancer pain (49.7%), acute pain (46.5%), headaches/migraines (39.0%), muscle spasms (33.6%), nausea/vomiting (30.6%), and appetite stimulation (29.9%). The most common comorbidities were mental health-related (66.1%) and pain (58.5%).

Why it matters

This study reveals the scale of unsupervised self-medication with cannabis for chronic conditions. That over 90% of cannabis users with chronic illness use it medicinally, mostly without medical guidance, highlights a major gap between patient behavior and healthcare oversight.

The numbers in context

n=1,466; mean age 47.1 years; 90.9% used cannabis medicinally; 46.1% had medical card; 4.6% received professional recommendation for COVID-19; sleep 69.2%, chronic pain 49.7%, acute pain 46.5%, headaches 39.0%, muscle spasms 33.6%, nausea 30.6%, appetite 29.9%.

How the study worked

Cross-sectional analysis of the COVID-19 Cannabis Health Study, an ongoing survey of adults who self-report cannabis use. Data from 1,466 responses collected March 2020 to March 2022 from participants reporting both cannabis use and a chronic health condition.

What this study cannot tell us

Self-selected sample of cannabis users limits generalizability. No control group to compare outcomes with non-cannabis users. Self-reported benefits are subjective and not verified. Data collected during the pandemic may reflect atypical patterns. Cannot determine whether cannabis actually helped manage reported symptoms.

How to read the evidence

Moderate: Large sample capturing real-world self-medication patterns, but self-selected cannabis user sample and subjective self-reports limit conclusions about efficacy.

When this study was published

Published in 2025 with data from March 2020 to March 2022.

The bigger picture

The pandemic may have accelerated existing trends toward self-medication with cannabis. The high prevalence of medicinal use without professional guidance raises questions about safety, efficacy, and the role healthcare systems should play in supporting patients who are already using cannabis.

Questions still open

Would these patients benefit from medical oversight of their cannabis use? Are they achieving better outcomes than they would with conventional treatments? How should healthcare systems respond to the reality that most cannabis users with chronic conditions are self-medicating?

Common questions

What does it mean that most users lacked a medical card?

Over half of participants who used cannabis to manage chronic conditions did not have a medical cannabis card or physician recommendation. This means they were self-diagnosing and self-treating without medical oversight, which raises both safety and efficacy concerns.

Did cannabis actually help these patients?

The study captured patient perceptions, not clinical outcomes. Participants reported using cannabis for specific symptoms, but the study cannot verify whether cannabis was actually effective for those symptoms. Controlled clinical trials would be needed to determine efficacy.

Read the original research

Chronic Disease Symptoms Self-Managed by Cannabis During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from the COVID-19 Cannabis Health Study.

Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 10(4), 558-568

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

O'Dell, Nicole; Baral, Amrit; Reid, Marvin; Diggs, Bria-Necole A; Islam, Jessica Y; Camacho-Rivera, Marlene; Ortega, Johis; Vidot, Denise C. (2025). Chronic Disease Symptoms Self-Managed by Cannabis During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from the COVID-19 Cannabis Health Study.. Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 10(4), 558-568. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2023.0234