Table 6 Barriers and considerations for clinical use and further investigation

Have discussed medical use of cannabis with physician (N = 237)

No

164 (69.2%)

Yes

73 (30.8%)

I never thought about using cannabis for medical purposes*

65 (43.3%)

I am concerned about addiction with cannabis*

27 (18.0%)

I don’t need any more medications for pain control*

23 (15.3%)

I am concerned about side effects*

22 (14.7%)

I can easily obtain cannabis through other physicians/sources*

15 (10.0%)

I do not know how to access cannabis*

15 (10.0%)

I don’t think it works*

14 (9.3%)

My physician doesn’t think it works*

11 (7.3%)

I have a moral or religious objection to using cannabis*

6 (4.0%)

Other*

18 (12.0%)

Was the discussion a positive experience (N = 71)

Very positive

31 (43.7%)

Positive

15 (21.1%)

Mixed

14 (19.7%)

Somewhat negative

9 (12.7%)

Very negative

2 (2.8%)

Where patients obtained/preferred to obtain cannabis from

Current (N = 81)

Preferred (N = 79)

Government

28 (34.6%)

45 (57.0%)

Private dispensary

37 (45.7%)

35 (44.3%)

Online

35 (43.2%)

35 (44.3%)

Home grown

11 (13.6%)

22 (27.9%)

Forms of cannabis patients preferred to use to treat their pain (N = 235)

Oral pill/tablet

98 (41.7%)

Edible

67 (28.5%)

Sublingual

58 (24.7%)

Inhaled smoke

48 (20.4%)

Topical

44 (18.7%)

Inhaled vapor

44 (18.7%)

Liquid

40 (17.0%)

Transdermal

23 (9.8%)

Intra-articular

8 (3.4%)

Willingness to participate in a randomized clinical trial comparing cannabis to usual care for pain relief following an MSK injury

Yes

117 (50.4%)

No

51 (22.0%)

Unsure

64 (27.6%)