Many orthopedic patients believe marijuana may be beneficial for pain management
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A survey about marijuana use among orthopedic patients showed many of them believe marijuana is beneficial for managing pain and other conditions.
Geoffrey S. Marecek, MD, and colleagues collected patient demographics and frequency, methods and reasons for marijuana use for 275 patients undergoing orthopedic surgery, categorizing them as marijuana users if they used marijuana in the past year.
Results showed 34% of patients endorsed marijuana use in the past year and 55% of patients who used marijuana endorsed marijuana use daily or weekly.
The most common means of marijuana use reported was smoking (90%), followed by edible products (35%) and vaporizing (24%). The most commonly cited reasons for marijuana use were pain management (54%) and recreation (52%). If a physician said marijuana use would adversely affect their surgery, 86% of patients who used marijuana reported they would stop using it.
Marecek told Orthopedics Today, “Some components of marijuana may help with fracture healing, but recent studies have suggested higher rates of venous thromboembolism with marijuana use. It is incumbent on us to study this and counsel our patients appropriately, because they say they will listen.”
- Reference:
- Carney JJ, et al. Orthopedics. 2020; doi:10.3928/01477447-20191212-07.
- For more information:
- Geoffrey S. Marecek, MD, can be reached at Cedars-Sinai, orthopaedic trauma and post-traumatic reconstruction, 644 S. San Vicente Blvd #603, Los Angeles, CA 90048; email: geoffrey.marecek@cshs.org.
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Most participants in this study were smoking cannabis for recreational purposes. The study failed to assess other common cannabis routes of delivery including sublingual tinctures and topical cannabinoids nor did the survey used ask about tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) dosages in the products used.
As cannabis legalization for medical and recreational purposes becomes more widespread, we need to better understand the potential risks and benefits of cannabis use in the orthopedic population. Federal prohibition of cannabis via the Controlled Substances Act has hindered research efforts in the United States. There is ample evidence that cannabis can treat chronic pain in adults and has an acceptable safety profile. Physicians should begin to counsel patients on medically appropriate cannabis use by recommending non-smokable products with lower dosages of THC combined with CBD, when available.
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