Abstract

Abstract.

Background: Cannabis is one of the medicinal plants to use for improving medical treatment. Moreover, the use of cannabis for medical purpose is increasing. It is unclear which medical conditions patients are attempting to treat with cannabis and whether they are communicating with medical providers about their use. This study aimed to describe the behavior of using cannabis for medical and factors related to utilization of medical cannabis.

Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in outpatients at Rajavithi Hospital from June to October 2023. Participants who were 20 years and over were recruited. The questionnaires were developed based on literature and content experts, including the perception of information, behavior, and medical cannabis experience. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with outcomes. The Ethics Committee Rajavithi Hospital approved this study.

Result: Of the 384 (96.0%) returned questionnaires, most participants were female 62.8%, and the mean age was 49.28±15.99 years. Most were employed 32.0%, less than a bachelor’s degree 62.0%, marital status 61.7%, and 42.2% had comorbidities. Most participants obtained medical cannabis information via social media and healthcare workers. Overall, 12.5% of participants used cannabis; better sleep (48.0%), reduced stress and anxiety (39.6%), and pain relief (31.3%) were the most common reasons for using cannabis. Factors associated were age (aOR1.03, 95%CI1.01-1.05, p=0.043), smoking (aOR3.00, 95%CI1.28-7.01, p=0.012), and opinion related medical cannabis use (aOR2.22, 95%CI1.36-3.61, p=0.001).

Conclusion: People use medical cannabis for better sleep, relaxation, and decreased pain. Factors associated with medical cannabis use are age, smoking, and medical cannabis use opinion. People agree to use medical cannabis to improve the effective medical treatment, whereas they are concerned about legalization, health, and social impact.