Zylla Dylan, Parsons Helen, Ziegenfuss Jeanette, Lindgren Bruce, Park Susan, Jewett Patricia, Gupta Arjun, Blaes Anne
HealthPartners Institute Cancer Research Center.
Department of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota.
Cannabis. 2025 Feb 1;8(1):139-149. doi: 10.26828/cannabis/2024/000243. eCollection 2025.
Despite increasing use of medical cannabis to manage cancer-related symptoms, U.S. payers do not reimburse medical cannabis, leaving patients responsible for all associated costs. We assessed how self-reported financial well-being is associated with patterns of cannabis consumption, out-of-pocket costs, and impact on symptoms in patients with cancer.
From December 2021 to January 2022, we surveyed patients with cancer enrolled in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program. The mailed survey included cancer history, cannabis use history, symptom changes and sociodemographic questions including income and perceived financial wellness. We conducted descriptive analyses.
Of 797 eligible adults, 220 (28%) responded to the survey. Two hundred eleven answered a question about current household income as living comfortably (LC, 45%; = 95) or not living comfortably (NLC, 55%; = 116). The NLC group reported lower incomes (47% vs 8% with annual incomes <$50,000) and were typically younger, unmarried, unemployed, or disabled. NLC group purchased more vaporizers (48% vs 27%), used products high in THC (92% vs 82%), and reported higher cannabis costs (40% vs 21% spending $200+/month). The NLC group more often stopped or used cannabis less frequently than they would like (54% versus 32%), frequently citing costs as a reason (85% vs 39%). Both NLC and LC groups typically used cannabis daily and reported a high degree of symptom improvement.
Patients with cancer using cannabis report significant improvements in cancer-related symptoms. High out-of-pocket costs for cannabis may be especially burdensome among those already financially struggling, raising questions about affordability of and equitable access to this therapy.
尽管医用大麻在管理癌症相关症状方面的使用日益增加，但美国的医保支付方并不报销医用大麻费用，这使得患者需自行承担所有相关费用。我们评估了自我报告的财务状况与癌症患者的大麻消费模式、自付费用以及对症状的影响之间的关联。
2021年12月至2022年1月，我们对参加明尼苏达医用大麻项目的癌症患者进行了调查。邮寄的调查问卷包括癌症病史、大麻使用史、症状变化以及社会人口统计学问题，包括收入和感知到的财务状况。我们进行了描述性分析。
在797名符合条件的成年人中，220人（28%）回复了调查。211人回答了关于当前家庭收入是否舒适的问题（舒适，45%；n = 95；不舒适，55%；n = 116）。收入不舒适组报告的收入较低（年收入低于5万美元的比例为47%对8%），且通常更年轻、未婚、失业或残疾。收入不舒适组购买了更多的蒸发器（48%对27%），使用了四氢大麻酚含量高的产品（92%对82%），并报告大麻费用更高（每月花费200美元以上的比例为40%对21%）。收入不舒适组比他们希望的更经常停止或减少使用大麻（54%对32%），经常将费用作为原因（85%对39%）。收入不舒适组和舒适组通常每天都使用大麻，并报告症状有高度改善。
使用大麻的癌症患者报告癌症相关症状有显著改善。大麻的高额自付费用对于那些已经在经济上挣扎的人来说可能尤其沉重，这引发了关于这种疗法的可承受性和公平可及性的问题。
