Results of a survey on methods of intake of cannabis and cannabinoids for therapeutic purposes

 A cross-sectional survey was conducted by putting a questionnaire on the website of the IACM between 18 August 2009 and 31 January 2010, which was available in five languages. It was designed to determine how patients perceive possible advantages and disadvantages of different methods of intake and which methods or products they prefer over others. The study also intended to analyze whether perceived advantages and preferences depend on demographic parameters, previous experience with recreational cannabis use, disease, or involvement of a physician in the use of cannabinoids.

953 patients (614 male, 339 female) with a mean age of 40.7 years from 32 countries completed the questionnaire. Most participants were from the USA, Germany, France, Canada, The Netherlands, Spain, and the UK. In 47.6% of all cases, cannabis products were prescribed or recommended by a physician, in 10.4% patients got their cannabinoid medication from a pharmacy, in 26.3% from a coffee shop or another unofficial or tolerated source. Preferred modes of use were smoking of cannabis (62.9%), inhalation of cannabis with a vaporizer (23.6%), oral use of cannabis in baked goods (7.9%), oral use of cannabis as a tea (2.4%) and oral use of Dronabinol/Marinol (1.8%). No significant differences in preferred modes of use were found in correlation to diseases, country or any other parameter. Results are not representative.

More at: http://www.cannabis-med.org/meeting/Bonn2011/abstractbook.pdf

(Source: Hazekamp A, Grotenhermen F, Abrams D, Russo E, Ware M, Navarrete-Varo R, Brenneisen R, Müller-Vahl K. The medicinal use of cannabis and cannabinoids: an international survey on methods of intake. Abstract, Cannabinoid Conference 2011, 8-10 September 2011, Bonn).