Exclusive Therapeutic Use of Cannabis in a Large Sample of Daily Cannabis Users in France: A Cross-Sectional Survey

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ABSTRACT

Many cannabis users report therapeutic benefits from cannabis consumption, even when not recommended by a physician. To date, few data on therapeutic users of cannabis in France are available. Using a cross-sectional survey held in 2020, we collected sociodemographic, health and substance use data from 4150 daily cannabis users in France. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess factors associated with exclusive therapeutic use of cannabis. Approximately 10% (n = 453) of the participants reported using cannabis exclusively for therapeutic purposes. Exclusive therapeutic users of cannabis differed from non-exclusive (i.e. recreational and mixed) users, especially regarding age (aOR [95%CI] = 1.01 [1.00–1.02]), employment (aOR = 0.61 [0.47–0.79]), urban area of residence (aOR = 0.75 [0.60–0.94]), physical (aOR = 2.95 [2.34–3.70]) and mental health condition (aOR = 2.63 [1.99–3.49]), mode of cannabis administration (non-smoked, aOR = 1.89 [1.22–2.95); smoked with little tobacco, aOR = 1.39 [1.09–1.76]), frequency of cannabis use (aOR = 1.04 [1.01–1.06]), home cultivation (aOR = 1.56 [1.13–2.15]), at-ridsk alcohol use (aOR = 0.68 [0.54–0.84]), and previous-month opiate use (aOR = 1.67 [1.22–2.30]). A greater understanding of the distinct profiles of regular cannabis users could inform harm reduction strategies and care access for this population. Further studies are needed to better understand the boundaries between therapeutic and recreational use.