{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]],"date-time":"2026-08-11T00:30:44Z","timestamp":1786408244983,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"CSIRO Publishing","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786320000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>There is limited, but emerging, evidence supporting the use of medicinal cannabis (MC) to manage pain, anxiety, spasticity, insomnia and depression. Although Australian legislation changed in 2016 to provide access to unapproved MC products, clinical guidance on prescribing MC is limited because it is still mostly an unapproved therapy accessed under strict conditions. Since legislation changed, little is known about the long-term lived experience of patients being prescribed unapproved MC products in Australia. We aimed to explore, and obtain an in depth understanding of, the long-term experiences of patients prescribed MC.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Using an interpretive qualitative approach, participants were recruited from the Quality-of-Life Evaluation Study, a nationwide longitudinal study of patients with any chronic health condition prescribed orally administered MC oil over 1\u00a0year. Semi-structured interviews explored experiences of accessing and using MC during and since completing the Quality-of-Life Evaluation Study. Thematic analysis identified themes and subthemes from the data.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Fifteen participants aged 33\u201378\u00a0years (nine female) who had completed the Quality-of-Life Evaluation Study and renewed MC oil prescriptions within the previous 6\u00a0months to manage chronic pain, insomnia, muscle spasticity, anxiety or depression were interviewed. Analysis identified four overarching themes: \u2018This isn\u2019t living\u2019; \u2018I was looking for a solution\u2019; \u2018It wasn\u2019t to get high\u2019; and \u2018Everything\u2019s much better\u2019, and eight subthemes covering concerns, barriers, patient autonomy and benefits. Participants commonly used MC to reduce or replace conventional medications taken for their conditions, and viewed MC as a low-risk \u2018natural\u2019 alternative. Barriers to accessing MC included difficulties obtaining prescriptions and the cost of MC products. Participants reported symptom improvements that flowed on to benefit relationships, productivity and mental health over the long term. Although initially concerned about side-effects, participants self-managed these effectively, with perceived benefits outweighing side-effects. Participants described roadside drug testing as an ongoing concern.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This group of patients prescribed orally administered MC oil in Australia reported many benefits of MC, but faced ongoing barriers to MC access. Improved awareness and education, simplified prescribing processes, and less prohibitive driving laws could lead to wider acceptance of MC as a therapeutic option and improved patient-centred care.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1071\/py25229","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T23:57:43Z","timestamp":1786406263000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Long-term experiences of patients prescribed medicinal cannabis in Australia: a qualitative interview study"],"prefix":"10.1071","volume":"32","author":[{"given":"Margaret-Ann","family":"Tait","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"AThe University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kate","family":"White","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AThe University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Claudia","family":"Rutherford","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AThe University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniel S. J.","family":"Costa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"BThe University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Psychology, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rachel","family":"Campbell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"BThe University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Psychology, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"67","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026081019573941700_R1","unstructured":"AHPRA (2025) Guidance on medicinal cannabis prescribing targets unsafe practice. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the National Boards. Available at https:\/\/www.ahpra.gov.au\/News\/2025-07-09-Medicinal-cannabis-guidance.aspx [Retrieved from 29 September 2025]"},{"issue":"5","key":"2026081019573941700_R2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2023.12522","article-title":"Assessment of medical cannabis and health-related quality of life.","volume":"6","author":"Arkell","year":"2023","journal-title":"JAMA Network Open"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R3","unstructured":"Australian Bureau of Statistics (2018) Chronic conditions. ABS. Available at https:\/\/www.abs.gov.au\/statistics\/health\/health-conditions-and-risks\/chronic-conditions\/latest-release [Retrieved from 26 July 2022]"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R4","unstructured":"Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (2019) About PROMs. ACSQHC. Available at https:\/\/safetyandquality.gov.au\/our-work\/indicators-measurement-and-reporting\/patient-reported-outcomes\/about-proms [Retrieved from 21 December 2022]"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fphar.2022.888903","article-title":"Cannabis for medical use: analysis of recent clinical trials in view of current legislation.","volume":"13","author":"Baratta","year":"2022","journal-title":"Frontiers in Pharmacology"},{"issue":"7","key":"2026081019573941700_R6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"655","DOI":"10.1007\/s40266-019-00665-w","article-title":"Qualitative analysis of cannabis use among older adults in Colorado.","volume":"36","author":"Bobitt","year":"2019","journal-title":"Drugs & Aging"},{"issue":"5","key":"2026081019573941700_R7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"740","DOI":"10.1177\/1090198120914249","article-title":"Self-efficacy in researching and obtaining medical cannabis by patients with chronic conditions.","volume":"47","author":"Brady","year":"2020","journal-title":"Health Education & Behavior"},{"issue":"2","key":"2026081019573941700_R8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa","article-title":"Using thematic analysis in psychology.","volume":"3","author":"Braun","year":"2006","journal-title":"Qualitative Research in Psychology"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R9","unstructured":"Deloitte Access Economics (2017) Asleep on the job: costs of inadequate sleep in Australia. Sleep Health Foundation. Available at https:\/\/www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au\/special-sleep-reports\/asleep-on-the-job-costs-of-inadequate-sleep-in-australia [Retrieved from 4 April 2023]"},{"issue":"3","key":"2026081019573941700_R10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/acr2.70024","article-title":"UK medical cannabis registry: an analysis of outcomes of medical cannabis therapy for hypermobility-associated chronic pain.","volume":"7","author":"Dickinson","year":"2025","journal-title":"ACR Open Rheumatology"},{"issue":"5","key":"2026081019573941700_R11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1280","DOI":"10.1111\/dar.13847","article-title":"\u2018The wild west of medicine\u2019: a qualitative investigation of the factors influencing Australian health-care practitioners\u2019 delivery of medicinal cannabis.","volume":"43","author":"Dobson","year":"2024","journal-title":"Drug and Alcohol Review"},{"issue":"10","key":"2026081019573941700_R12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1361","DOI":"10.1007\/s11606-012-2077-6","article-title":"Shared decision making: a model for clinical practice.","volume":"27","author":"Elwyn","year":"2012","journal-title":"Journal of General Internal Medicine"},{"issue":"12","key":"2026081019573941700_R13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"829","DOI":"10.1080\/17474124.2024.2443574","article-title":"UK medical cannabis registry: an updated analysis of clinical outcomes of cannabis-based medicinal products for inflammatory bowel disease.","volume":"18","author":"Gupta","year":"2024","journal-title":"Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology"},{"issue":"12","key":"2026081019573941700_R14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1036","DOI":"10.1097\/AJP.0000000000000364","article-title":"The effect of medicinal cannabis on pain and quality-of-life outcomes in chronic pain: a prospective open-label study.","volume":"32","author":"Haroutounian","year":"2016","journal-title":"The Clinical Journal of Pain"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026081019573941700_R15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5688\/ajpe7120","article-title":"A review of the quality indicators of rigor in qualitative research.","volume":"84","author":"Johnson","year":"2020","journal-title":"American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education"},{"issue":"2","key":"2026081019573941700_R16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1471-6712.2004.00258.x","article-title":"A phenomenological hermeneutical method for researching lived experience.","volume":"18","author":"Lindseth","year":"2004","journal-title":"Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drugpo.2025.104788","article-title":"Standard THC units: a tool to benchmark cannabis-related driving risks.","volume":"139","author":"Lorenzetti","year":"2025","journal-title":"International Journal of Drug Policy"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R18","unstructured":"National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2024) About chronic diseases. US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/chronic-disease\/about\/index.html [Retrieved from 19 March 2025]"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.eujim.2021.102098","article-title":"What are the experiences of patients using cannabis for pain? A systematic review of qualitative studies.","volume":"49","author":"Ng","year":"2022","journal-title":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R20","unstructured":"Parliament of Australia (2020) Senate inquiry into the current barriers to patient access to medicinal cannabis in Australia. (Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee). Parliament of Australia."},{"issue":"1","key":"2026081019573941700_R21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s42238-025-00315-6","article-title":"Clinicians\u2019 attitudes and knowledge of medicinal cannabis in opioid dependence treatment clinics in New South Wales, Australia.","volume":"7","author":"Parvaresh","year":"2025","journal-title":"Journal of Cannabis Research"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026081019573941700_R22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"160","DOI":"10.1089\/can.2017.0012","article-title":"Cannabis as a substitute for opioid-based pain medication: patient self-report.","volume":"2","author":"Reiman","year":"2017","journal-title":"Cannabis & Cannabinoid Research"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2025.116552","article-title":"Medicinal cannabis in the management of anxiety disorders: a systematic review.","volume":"350","author":"Roberts","year":"2025","journal-title":"Psychiatry Research"},{"issue":"3","key":"2026081019573941700_R24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.17169\/fqs-3.3.831","article-title":"Research as interacting dialogic processes: implications for reflexivity.","volume":"3","author":"Russell","year":"2002","journal-title":"Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung\/Forum: Qualitative Social Research"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2022.114573","article-title":"Medical cannabis use in Canada and its impact on anxiety and depression: a retrospective study.","volume":"313","author":"Sachedina","year":"2022","journal-title":"Psychiatry Research"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R26","unstructured":"Tait M-A (2026) Assessing health-related quality of life in patients accessing medicinal cannabis. Doctoral dissertation, The University of Sydney. Available at https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/2123\/35087"},{"issue":"4","key":"2026081019573941700_R27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0320756","article-title":"Improvements in health-related quality of life are maintained long-term in patients prescribed medicinal cannabis in Australia: the QUEST Initiative 12-month follow-up observational study.","volume":"20","author":"Tait","year":"2025","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"issue":"3","key":"2026081019573941700_R28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11136-026-04170-7","article-title":"Health-related quality of life in patients receiving medicinal cannabis: systematic review and meta-analysis of primary research findings 2015\u20132025.","volume":"35","author":"Tait","year":"2026","journal-title":"Quality of Life Research"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R29"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"545","DOI":"10.1111\/ajco.14149","article-title":"Patients\u2019 perceptions of the efficacy, safety, and quality of the evidence of medicinal cannabis: a survey of Australian cancer patients.","volume":"21","author":"Taylor","year":"2025","journal-title":"Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R31","unstructured":"Therapeutic Goods Administration (2016) Final decisions and reasons for decisions by a delegate of the Secretary to the Department of Health. Department of Health. Available at https:\/\/www.tga.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/scheduling-delegates-final-decisions-cannabis-and-tetrahydrocannabinols-march-2016_0.pdf [Retrieved from 25 May 2025]"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R32","unstructured":"Therapeutic Goods Administration (2024a) Medicinal cannabis authorised prescriber patient data. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. Available at https:\/\/www.tga.gov.au\/products\/unapproved-therapeutic-goods\/medicinal-cannabis-hub\/medicinal-cannabis-access-pathways-and-usage-data\/medicinal-cannabis-authorised-prescriber-scheme-data [Retrieved from 16 February 2025]"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R33","unstructured":"Therapeutic Goods Administration (2024b) Medicinal cannabis Special Access Scheme Category B data: SAS-B Indications. Australian Government. Available at https:\/\/www.tga.gov.au\/products\/unapproved-therapeutic-goods\/medicinal-cannabis-hub\/medicinal-cannabis-access-pathways-and-patient-access-data\/medicinal-cannabis-special-access-scheme-category-b-data [Retrieved from 2 May 2025]"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R34","unstructured":"Therapeutic Goods Administration (2024c) Guidance for the use of medicinal cannabis in the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain in Australia. Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Available at https:\/\/www.tga.gov.au\/resources\/explore-topic\/medicinal-cannabis-hub\/medicinal-cannabis-guidance-documents\/guidance-use-medicinal-cannabis-treatment-chronic-non-cancer-pain-australia#s2 [Retrieved from 26 March 2026]"},{"key":"2026081019573941700_R35","unstructured":"Therapeutic Goods Administration (2024d) Guidance for the use of medicinal cannabis in the treatment of multiple sclerosis in Australia. Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Available at https:\/\/www.tga.gov.au\/resources\/explore-topic\/medicinal-cannabis-hub\/medicinal-cannabis-guidance-documents\/guidance-use-medicinal-cannabis-treatment-multiple-sclerosis-australia [Retrieved from 26 March 2026]"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026081019573941700_R36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1097\/j.pain.0000000000001384","article-title":"Chronic pain as a symptom or a disease: the IASP Classification of Chronic Pain for the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).","volume":"160","author":"Treede","year":"2019","journal-title":"Pain"},{"issue":"11","key":"2026081019573941700_R37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0272241","article-title":"A large Australian longitudinal cohort registry demonstrates sustained safety and efficacy of oral medicinal cannabis for at least two years.","volume":"17","author":"Vickery","year":"2022","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"issue":"14","key":"2026081019573941700_R38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"E694","DOI":"10.1503\/cmaj.091414","article-title":"Smoked cannabis for chronic neuropathic pain: a randomized controlled trial.","volume":"182","author":"Ware","year":"2010","journal-title":"Canadian Medical Association Journal"},{"issue":"3","key":"2026081019573941700_R39","first-page":"5","article-title":"Introduction: advances and challenges in care of older people with chronic illness.","volume":"30","author":"Warshaw","year":"2006","journal-title":"Generations"},{"issue":"24","key":"2026081019573941700_R40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2456","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2015.6358","article-title":"Cannabinoids for medical use: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","volume":"313","author":"Whiting","year":"2015","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"issue":"2","key":"2026081019573941700_R41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"192","DOI":"10.1080\/0312407X.2021.1904264","article-title":"Attitudes of cancer patients to medicinal cannabis use: a qualitative study.","volume":"75","author":"Wilson","year":"2022","journal-title":"Australian Social Work"},{"issue":"4","key":"2026081019573941700_R42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"304","DOI":"10.1016\/S2215-0366(26)00015-5","article-title":"The efficacy and safety of cannabinoids for the treatment of mental disorders and substance use disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","volume":"13","author":"Wilson","year":"2026","journal-title":"The Lancet Psychiatry"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026081019573941700_R43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1177\/1756285615612659","article-title":"Evidence for the efficacy and effectiveness of THC-CBD oromucosal spray in symptom management of patients with spasticity due to multiple sclerosis.","volume":"9","author":"Zettl","year":"2016","journal-title":"Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders"}],"container-title":["Australian Journal of Primary Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/connectsci.au\/py\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1071\/PY25229\/1948813\/py25229.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/connectsci.au\/py\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1071\/PY25229\/1948813\/py25229.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T23:57:45Z","timestamp":1786406265000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/connectsci.au\/py\/article\/32\/4\/PY25229\/275611\/Long-term-experiences-of-patients-prescribed"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]]},"references-count":43,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1071\/py25229","relation":{},"ISSN":["1448-7527","1836-7399"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1448-7527","type":"print"},{"value":"1836-7399","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]]},"article-number":"PY25229"}}