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The following is a summary of ““It frees your body from that pain thought”: A mixed-methods exploration of patterns, contexts, and experiences of cannabis use for pain in rural communities,” published in the July 2024 issue of Pain by Warner et al.

The U.S. adults from rural areas. increasingly use cannabis to manage chronic pain amidst inadequate pain management options.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating the reasons and methods of adults in rural areas using cannabis for pain, especially in conjunction with opioids.

They included 14 adults from rural Oklahoma who used tobacco and at least 1 other substance, including cannabis and opioids for 3 or more days per week. Participants completed 14 days of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) on substance use, followed by in-depth interviews analyzing the substance use patterns.

The result showed half of the participants (7/14) used cannabis for chronic pain, with 85% of the users reporting cannabis use on at least more than 75% of EMA days. Therapeutic or medicinal motives were cited in 90% of cannabis use reports. Most cannabis use occurred at home (99%) and involved smoking (88%). Same-day use of cannabis and opioids was reported in 45% of daily surveys but typically not in close temporal proximity. Interview narratives revealed that cannabis was used to modify pain-related factors rather than eliminate pain, with participants employing a range of substances to manage different aspects of pain and weigh the trade-offs of each. High access to medical cannabis contrasted with low access to pain specialists, and most physicians were reluctant to discuss cannabis for pain management.

Investigators concluded that patients in rural areas could benefit from improved comprehensive pain management and a deeper understanding of the risks and benefits of cannabis use.

Source: jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(24)00585-6/abstract