Prevalence of cannabis use and behavioral health conditions among primary care patients with and without chronic non-cancer pain in Washington state

Abstract

Chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is common among primary care patients, with few effective treatments. Patients report that cannabis provides relief , however little is known about characteristics and patterns of cannabis use among patients with CNCP, overall and relative to those without CNCP. This study estimated the prevalence of past-year cannabis use, medical cannabis use, and behavioral health diagnoses for patients with and without CNCP in a large sample of primary care patients screened for cannabis use. EHR and claims data from 25 primary care clinics were used. Chi-squared tests tested for differences between patients with and without CNCP. Adjusted fixed effects logistic regression models were used to estimate the prevalence of past-year cannabis use, with 95% confidence intervals, among patients with and without CNCP. We found a higher adjusted prevalence of medical cannabis use and most behavioral health conditions among those with CNCP compared to those without CNCP. Patients with CNCP may benefit from care management that includes behavioral health care.