Patient characteristics from a medical cannabis provider.

Medical cannabis has been prescribed by physicians to treat a variety of symptoms including pain, nausea and vomiting, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders in patients with severe or chronic illnesses. This paper presents the baseline demographics and characteristics of patients using medical cannabis in Canada. Patients were invited to complete a voluntary online survey after registering with a single medical cannabis provider. The survey included questions on demographics, medical history, current medical conditions and symptoms, and their corresponding severities. A total of 2,753 patients completed the survey (average age of 43.0 years old, SD = 13.7). Patients were predominantly male (68.4%, n = 1,882) and Caucasian (80.3%, n = 2,089). Most patients were employed (49.4%, n = 1133), while 18.7% (n = 428) were retired, and 3.9% (n = 89) were students. Of the surveyed patients, 25.1% (n = 580) smoked tobacco cigarettes, and 74.9% (n = 1782) reported having previous experience with cannabis. The most frequently reported conditions were anxiety disorder (31.7%, n = 723), depression (31.6%, n = 729), pain (29.5%, n = 681), and sleep disorder (25.5%, n = 589). The most frequently reported symptoms included pain (73.0%, n = 2011), anxiety (72.6%, n = 1998), and sleep problems (69.8%, n = 1922). These findings are consistent with results from other North American studies, suggesting their generalizability in defining patient populations that may benefit from medical cannabis use. Understanding patient characteristics will be useful in informing the design of future clinical research initiatives and identifying the needs of patients using medical cannabis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]