Medical cannabis-related stigma: cancer survivors’ perspectives

BACKGROUND: Although the vast majority of medical cannabis laws in the USA includes cancer as a qualifying condition and medical cannabis-related stigma influences decision-making regarding the botanical, few studies have explored the phenomenon in oncology. Early findings indicated oncologic cannabis-related stigma to be quite widespread. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with 24 adults with cancer histories using medical cannabis were analyzed using the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework. RESULTS: Sixteen out of 24 participants discussed medical cannabis-related stigma in some depth. The phenomena emerged as more pervasive in medical than personal/professional domains and was internalized as well as experienced directly. It led some participants, but not others, to practice partial or complete secrecy. DISCUSSION: Taken together, our findings suggest that, while medical cannabis-related stigma remains widespread and led some study participants to alter behavior, an early shift in ethos towards greater medical cannabis acceptance could be underway. If so, this transition may be occurring more rapidly in non-medical than in clinical settings. CONCLUSION: Cancer survivors may experience heightened medical cannabis-related stigma in the clinic as compared to their personal/professional lives. Healthcare providers who depend on patient transparency when gathering medical histories and devising care plans may wish to neutralize perceptions of medical cannabis-related stigma.