Text Version
YOUTH PERSPECTIVES ON MEDICAL CANNABIS
Nine youth between the ages of 14-19 completed a pre-meeting survey and participated in two focus group discussions to share their perspective on medical cannabis.
Female = 7; Non-binary = 1; Transmasculine = 1
White = 8; East Asian = 1; Latin American = 1; Middle Eastern = 1
Pre-meeting Survey
Youth were asked to rate 8 scenarios on a scale ranging from recreational use to medical use. Two control scenarios were used to establish a baseline understanding:
Maria has been authorized by her doctor to start taking cannabis to help deal with the pain and nausea she experiences after receiving chemotherapy for the treatment of her cancer. (Image description: a graph shows youth rated this scenario as medical use.)
Sarah likes to smoke cannabis with her friends when they go to parties on the weekend. (Image description: a graph shows youth rated this scenario as recreational use.)
The rest of the scenarios showed great variability in these ratings:
Avery used to occasionally smoke cannabis at parties with her friends. However, after her parents’ divorce, she has started to regularly smoke cannabis when she feels anxious. (Image description: a graph shows youth ratings of this scenario vary from medical use to recreational use.)
After sustaining a concussion on the football field, Carter has started to take cannabis oil to help with his headaches. (Image description: a graph shows youth ratings of this scenario vary from medical use to recreational use.)
Ali has experienced lower back pain. He takes medications to help with pain and smokes a small amount of cannabis every morning. (Image description: a graph shows youth ratings of this scenario vary from medical use to recreational use.)
During final exam season, Eric starts to smoke cannabis from his vape pen to help him fall asleep at night. (Image description: a graph shows youth ratings of this scenario vary from medical use to recreational use.)
Laura is a university student who smokes cannabis on the weekends to help her relieve her stress. (Image description: a graph shows youth ratings of this scenario vary from medical use to recreational use.)
Justin feels uncomfortable/anxious before attending social gatherings. To help calm his nerves, he has started taking an edible before going to social events. (Image description: a graph shows youth ratings of this scenario vary from medical use to recreational use.)
This confusion is further shown in the themes that were identified during the focus group.
Focus Group Discussions
Confusion between Medical and Recreational Cannabis
Youth have evolving perceptions regarding similarities and differences between medical and recreational cannabis. Some participants noted that medical and recreational cannabis both have therapeutic potential, whether individuals are aware of self-medication or not. Other participants spoke about difference in labeling and difference in intended use.
Conflicting Views on Medical Cannabis
Youth hold contrary opinions toward cannabis used for medical purposes based on the conflicting messages that they receive. Some participants suggested that medical cannabis may be a safer alternative to opioids for pain management. Other participants spoke about societal messaging focused on the potential harm associated with cannabis use rather than the medical benefits.
Better Communication about Medical Cannabis
Youth want to know more about the adverse effects and risk of addiction related to cannabis. Youth emphasized the importance of healthcare providers acknowledging when they lack information about long-term effects. They suggest presenting information in multiple formats including infographics or brochures for basic information and more formal documents for physicians. Youth also prefer to receive information from reputable sources, such as hospital or educational websites, and desire open conversations with physicians and researchers.
We learned that youth are unclear on what the difference is between medical and recreational use, which leads to confusion and mixed views about cannabis used for medical purposes. There is an urgent need for accessible and reliable information tailored to youth. Youth need to feel safe having discussions about cannabis with their healthcare providers. This information will help improve messaging about medical cannabis research and guide us in delivering it in effective ways.
For more information, visit www.medcannkids.ca
Produced by Jessica Steer in October 2023.
C4T is an academic partnership. Funding details and COI are available on our website.
This study was funded by the SickKids Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).