A nationwide analysis has found that roughly 1 in 12 cancer survivors in the United States use marijuana, with medical use being far more common among this group than the general population.
The study, published in JCO Oncology Practice, reviewed survey data from more than 82 million adults across 23 states who responded to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System cannabis module. Of the over 6 million respondents with a history of cancer, 7.5% reported using marijuana. That figure was lower than the general population’s usage rate of 12%, but cancer survivors were more likely to use it for medical purposes—47.3% compared to 24.2%.
State-level legalization appeared to influence behavior. After legalization, marijuana use rose, albeit modesty, by 5.4% in the general population and 4.1% among cancer survivors.
The authors noted that while marijuana is gaining broader acceptance among patients and providers, clinical guidelines remain limited. “Unfortunately, there remains a lack of adequate guidelines for the clinical use of cannabis and many clinicians feel ill equipped to provide recommendations to cancer survivors,” the study states.
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