This poster was presented at the 2018 International Society for Quality of Life Research (ISOQOL) at Dublin, Ireland.
Quality of Life of Marijuana Users and Factors Associated with Marijuana Use: The Arkansas Marijuana Study
Payakachat N, Russell L, Fantegrossi W
Objective
Arkansas (AR) legalized medical marijuana (MM) in 2016 but lawful products are not yet available in the market. The study aims to evaluate quality of life (Qol) of self-reported marijuana users and identify factors related to current use of marijuana in AR community prior to legally available MM.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey in early 2018. The survey included demographics and a battery of assessments, selected by a consensus of multidisciplinary experts to capture health conditions, perceived health problems, qol, and marijuana use. Participants were recruited through the ARresearch registry, social media, and a flyer posted at head shops across AR. Participants were asked if they had ever used marijuana in their lifetime. Ones who reported using marijuana in the past month were categorized as current users. Others who reported last used in over a month were categorized as non-current users. Qol was assessed using the SF-36 and reported as least square means (LSM) for PCS36 and MCS36, adjusted by demographics and number of health conditions (NCC). Marijuana motives were measured using the Comprehensive Marijuana Motives Questionnaire (CMMQ). A structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to identify factors associated with current marijuana use.
Results
Out of 983 who reported ever using marijuana, 47.8% were current users. Current users were younger than non-current user (mean=42.6 vs. 47.6 years, p<.001). PCS36 of current users were 2.1 points lower than non-current users (LSM=41.5 vs. 43.4, p=.091) but MCS36 were 2.2 points higher in the current user group (LSM=44.4 vs. 42.2, p=.049). Factor analysis revealed 3 factors including enjoyment, social, and health benefit for the CMMQ. NCC, the CMMQ-enjoyment, and CMMQ-health benefit were positively associated with currently using marijuana (Fig 1). While the CMMQ-social and age was negatively associated with current use.
Conclusions
Not only did current users enjoy marijuana, they also used it for health benefits. Clinical research on therapeutic benefit of marijuana is very limited in the U.S. due to its Schedule I status in the Controlled Substances Act. A longitudinal study to evaluate health benefits of marijuana is warranted.
Acknowledgement
Supported by 7-Hybrid Cultivation and UAMS Translational Research Instituted