Chronic pain negatively impacts quality of life and remains largely undertreated. Significant safety and efficacy concerns exist with common treatment options. Medical cannabis (MC) is a non-opioid alternative for chronic pain. Lack of consistent research has limited the incorporation of MC into standards of care for pain management. Patient engagement in informing additional research is needed to ensure patients, providers and policy makers can make informed decisions on MC use. This study aims to describe patients’ and community members' experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and concerns regarding utilizing MC to manage chronic pain and develop patient-centered research questions.

This is a qualitative, descriptive, focus-group study of participants with chronic pain who had used MC, with chronic pain who had not used MC, and without chronic pain regardless of use of MC for other conditions utilizing an investigator-developed semi-structured facilitator questionnaire. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded using NVivo 12 software. Thematic analysis using open and pattern coding was used to analyze responses.

Twenty-eight individuals participated in this study. Key emerging themes included efficacy, safety, stigma, cost, convenience, government and legal considerations, and interactions with healthcare providers. Themes were similar among groups, but emphasis varied. A list of research questions was derived from identified themes.

Those choosing to use or not to use MC for treatment of their chronic pain continue to have unanswered questions about the efficacy, formulation and dosing selection, safety, cost, convenience, stigma and knowledge of their healthcare providers.