Aust Health Rev. 2020 Aug;44(4):656. doi: 10.1071/AH19066_CO.
Access to medicinal cannabis is a timely and important issue in cancer care. Recent legislative changes in Australia have increased access to medicinal cannabis, but the views of people with cancer on this topic are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of the use of and attitudes towards medicinal cannabis among people with cancer.A cross-sectional study was performed using an anonymous, 15-item study-specific paper-based survey. The survey was administered over a 2-week period in August 2017 in the waiting rooms of a specialist cancer hospital.In all, 339 patients completed the survey (mean (±s.d.) age 59±15 years; 52% male). Fourteen respondents (4%) were currently using cannabis medicinally. Only one of these respondents had a prescription for their cannabis product. Most respondents would consider using a medicinal cannabis product if recommended by their doctor (n=271; 80%).This study is the first of its kind to survey the use of and attitudes towards medicinal cannabis in a broad sample of Australian people with cancer. Few respondents were currently using cannabis for medicinal purposes, but an overwhelming majority were in favour of increasing access and would consider using a prescribed product.Cannabis may have a wide variety of medicinal uses, particularly in the cancer setting. Currently, people with cancer in Victoria have limited access to medicinal cannabis despite recent legislative changes.In a general sample of people with cancer, few were using cannabis for medicinal purposes, but most were in favour of widening access and would consider using a product their doctor prescribed.Despite supporting access, patients indicated that the recommendations of doctors and increasing the evidence base are necessary requirements to their use of medicinal cannabis.
医用大麻的获取在癌症治疗中是一个及时且重要的问题。澳大利亚最近的立法改革增加了医用大麻的可及性，但人们对癌症患者对此类药物的看法知之甚少。本研究旨在探讨癌症患者使用医用大麻的情况和态度。
采用横断面研究方法，使用匿名的 15 项特定于研究的纸质调查问卷进行研究。该调查于 2017 年 8 月在一家专门癌症医院的候诊室进行，为期两周。
共有 339 名患者完成了调查（平均（±标准差）年龄 59±15 岁；52%为男性）。14 名受访者（4%）目前正在使用医用大麻。在这些受访者中，只有 1 人有大麻产品的处方。如果医生推荐，大多数受访者会考虑使用医用大麻产品（n=271；80%）。
本研究首次对澳大利亚广泛的癌症患者群体使用医用大麻的情况和态度进行了调查。很少有受访者目前出于医疗目的使用大麻，但绝大多数人赞成增加医用大麻的获取途径，并愿意考虑使用医生开的处方产品。
大麻可能具有广泛的药用用途，特别是在癌症治疗中。尽管最近的立法改革，维多利亚州的癌症患者仍然很难获得医用大麻。
在一般的癌症患者样本中，很少有人出于医疗目的使用大麻，但大多数人赞成扩大获取途径，并愿意考虑使用医生开的处方产品。
尽管支持获取医用大麻，但患者表示，医生的建议和增加证据基础是他们使用医用大麻的必要条件。
