A survey of more than 800 people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases found that nearly 80% of current marijuana consumers reported that marijuana reduced their pain, while nearly three-quarters said it improved their sleep.
The research, scheduled to be presented later this month at the National Cannabis Research Conference in San Diego, examined marijuana consumption and self-reported effects among adults with conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia.
Researchers conducted an anonymous online survey between November 1, 2025 and February 10, 2026. A total of 818 people completed the survey, with 166, or 20.3%, reporting marijuana use during the previous 30 days.
Among current consumers, 79.9% reported experiencing less pain and 73.6% reported improved sleep. Another 42.5% reported reduced anxiety, while 29.9% said marijuana reduced suffering related to their illness.
Overall, 39.8% of current consumers said marijuana made them feel “much better,” while 47% said it made them feel “somewhat better.”
Nearly one in five current consumers, 19.2%, also reported reducing their use of opioids or other narcotics.
The survey population was predominantly female at 63%, while 71.7% were over age 60. More than three-quarters, 76%, reported chronic pain lasting longer than three months.
The most commonly reported conditions were rheumatoid arthritis at 41.8% and osteoarthritis at 41.6%, followed by fibromyalgia at 15.6%, psoriatic arthritis at 5.7% and ankylosing spondylitis at 5.3%.
Among those currently consuming marijuana, 46.4% said their use was both medical and recreational, while 30.1% reported medical-only use and 23.5% reported recreational-only use. Just 23.9% had a medical marijuana card.
THC-containing products, either with or without CBD, were used by 76% of current consumers during the previous four weeks.
Among those using THC-containing products, edibles were the most commonly reported method of consumption at 71.4%, followed by smoking at 26.2%, vaping at 19.6%, topical products at 17.3% and oils or tinctures at 16.1%.
More than half of marijuana consumers using THC products, 52.4%, reported using them at least four times per week. For CBD-containing products, 36.7% reported using them at least four times weekly.
Reported adverse effects included dry mouth among 40.4% of consumers and drowsiness among 36.1%. About 31% reported feeling high, while smaller percentages reported difficulty concentrating, anxiety or paranoia, or dizziness.
Researchers noted that the analysis was descriptive and based on self-reported data, meaning the findings do not establish that marijuana caused the reported improvements.
The research, titled “Patient-Reported Patterns of Cannabis Consumption and Subjective Effects in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases,” is being presented by Joanna S. Zeiger.
Researchers concluded that marijuana consumption among people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases was diverse in terms of THC exposure, frequency and method of use, with a substantial proportion of consumers reporting meaningful improvements in pain, sleep and overall suffering.
The National Cannabis Research Conference is scheduled for October 19 through October 21.
