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Aron JA, Healy EW, Robinson JRM, Blinderman CD. Effects of Medical Cannabis Certification on Hospital Use by Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2024; 9:629-634. [PMID: 36413342 DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Context: Retrospective study of 36 individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) certified for medical cannabis. Objective: We sought to examine whether medical cannabis certification was associated with a change in utilization of acute care medical services for patients with SCD. Methods: We identified patients with SCD certified for medical cannabis use between July 2014 and December 2021 using the New York State Prescription Monitoring Program (NYS PMP) and cross-matching to our electronic medical record. We estimated the mean incidences of Emergency Department (ED) visits, hospital admissions, inpatient days, and total acute encounters for SCD-related pain per month pre- and post-medical cannabis certification and used paired t-tests to assess the statistical significance of changes in hospital use. We stratified incidence based on whether patients had received a bone marrow transplant (BMT) at any point before or during the research period, since BMT is potentially an important covariate. Recertification rates and patients' reasons for choosing to recertify were qualitatively investigated through retrospective chart review. Results: The incidence of ED visits, hospital admissions, and total acute encounters per month for SCD-related pain decreased pre- to post-certification (p=0.02; p=0.02; p=0.01). These decreases lost statistical significance after stratifying patients based on BMT history. There was no statistically significant change in the number of days per month patients spent hospitalized in either the primary analysis or after stratification by BMT status. Forty-four percent of patients chose to be recertified. Thirty-six percent of patients cited concerns regarding the cost of medical cannabis. Conclusion: Our study did not show a statistically significant relationship between certification for medical cannabis and hospital use after addressing BMT history as a potentially important covariate. However, we were likely underpowered to detect any existing difference after patient data were stratified due to our small sample size. Regardless, 44% of patients chose to be recertified, indicating a perceived benefit and utility in further investigation of medical cannabis for this population with a larger analytic sample. Patient-reported benefits were improvement of pain and other symptoms, decreased opiate requirements, and decreased side effects compared to opiates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie A Aron
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Mass General Brigham, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Emma W Healy
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jamaica R M Robinson
- Center for Research on End-of-Life Care, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Craig D Blinderman
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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Yaskewich DM. State licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries: neighborhood-level determinants of applicant quality in Missouri. J Cannabis Res 2024; 6:17. [PMID: 38532499 DOI: 10.1186/s42238-024-00223-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND When state governments impose quotas on commercial marijuana licenses, regulatory commissions use an application process to assess the feasibility of prospective businesses. Decisions on license applications are often met with formal appeals and legal challenges from rejected applicants. Although prior research has examined substate disparities in the availability of marijuana dispensaries, less attention has been given to the quality of license applications. The present study analyzed the relationship between neighborhood-level characteristics and the quality of prospective dispensary businesses. METHODS During Missouri's first applicant pool for medical marijuana dispensaries in 2019, a total of 606 census tracts contained the location site of at least one dispensary applicant. Using data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the American Community Survey, fractional and binary logistic regression models were used to estimate the relationship between census-tract characteristics and application outcomes. RESULTS License applications received higher evaluation scores when proposed dispensary sites were in census tracts with greater population densities and no majority in racial/ethnic composition. Census tracts with poorer socioeconomic conditions attracted a disproportionate share of low-scoring applicants from the bottom quartile of scores. These effects were stronger for certain application subsections, particularly those assessing the quality of an applicant's business plan and on-site security. CONCLUSIONS Some communities tend to attract prospective license holders who possess better quality resources, business practices, and industry experience. State disparities in commercial licensing requirements and application processes may lead to the inequities in legal product access found in some prior studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Yaskewich
- Southeast Missouri State University, One University Plaza; Mailstop #5845, Cape Girardeau, MO, 63701, USA.
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Freitag EW, Zolotov Y, Annam J, Labins J, Yamada JM, Jillani SM, Arnsten JH, Slawek DE. Available but inaccessible: patient experiences during the first 2 years of a primary care-based medical cannabis program at an academic medical center. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:1. [PMID: 38166921 PMCID: PMC10763347 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00919-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medical cannabis use and public acceptance in the United States have increased over the past 25 years. However, access to medical cannabis remains limited, particularly for underserved populations. To understand how patients experience medical cannabis accessibility, we measured medical cannabis use and barriers to use after medical cannabis certification in an urban safety-net academic medical center. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study among patients seen in Montefiore's Medical Cannabis Program (MMCP) from 2017 to 2019. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics, as well purchase history of medical cannabis, were extracted from electronic medical records. We also administered a phone questionnaire to a subset of patients to assess usage patterns, effectiveness, and barriers to medical cannabis use. RESULTS Among 562 patients who were newly certified for medical cannabis between 2017 and 2019, 45% purchased medical cannabis, while 55% did not. Patients who purchased medical cannabis were more likely to be white and have private insurance or Medicare. Unregulated cannabis use and current tobacco use were less common among those who purchased medical cannabis. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, unregulated cannabis use remained negatively associated with purchasing medical cannabis. Patients reported that affordability and dispensary accessibility were their main barriers to purchasing medical cannabis. CONCLUSION Among patients certified for medical cannabis use, fewer than half purchased medical cannabis after certification. Improving access to medical cannabis is crucial for ensuring equitable access to regulated cannabis, and to reducing unregulated cannabis use.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuval Zolotov
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 111 E 210th St, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Jayabhargav Annam
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 111 E 210th St, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Jaqueline Labins
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 111 E 210th St, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Jaclyn M Yamada
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 111 E 210th St, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Syeda Masharab Jillani
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 111 E 210th St, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Julia H Arnsten
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 111 E 210th St, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Deepika E Slawek
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 111 E 210th St, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA.
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Hirsch AG, Wright EA, Nordberg CM, DeWalle J, Stains EL, Kennalley AL, Zhang J, Tusing LD, Piper BJ. Dispensaries and Medical Marijuana Certifications and Indications: Unveiling the Geographic Connections in Pennsylvania, USA. Med Cannabis Cannabinoids 2024; 7:34-43. [PMID: 38487377 PMCID: PMC10939510 DOI: 10.1159/000537841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pennsylvania opened its first medical marijuana (MMJ) dispensary in 2018. Qualifying conditions include six conditions determined to have no or insufficient evidence to support or refute MMJ effectiveness. We conducted a study to describe MMJ dispensary access in Pennsylvania and to determine whether dispensary proximity was associated with MMJ certifications and community demographics. Methods Using data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, we geocoded MMJ dispensary locations and linked them to US Census Bureau data. We created dispensary access measures from the population-weighted centroid of Zip Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs): distance to nearest dispensary and density of dispensaries within a 15-min drive. We evaluated associations between dispensary access and the proportion of adults who received MMJ certification and the proportion of certifications for low evidence conditions (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, epilepsy, glaucoma, Huntington's disease, opioid use disorder, and Parkinson's disease) using negative binomial modeling, adjusting for community features. To evaluate associations racial and ethnic composition of communities and distance to nearest dispensary, we used logistic regression to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for median income. Results Distance and density of MMJ dispensaries were associated with the proportion of the ZCTA population certified and the proportion of certifications for insufficient evidence conditions. Compared to ZCTAs with no dispensary within 15 min, the proportion of adults certified increased by up to 31% and the proportion of certifications for insufficient evidence decreased by up to 22% for ZCTAs with two dispensaries. From 2018 to 2021, the odds of being within five miles of a dispensary was up to 20 times higher in ZCTAs with the highest proportions of individuals who were not White (2019: OR: 20.14, CI: 10.7-37.8) and more than double in ZCTAs with the highest proportion of Hispanic individuals (2018: OR: 2.81, CI: 1.51-5.24), compared to ZCTAs with the lowest proportions. Conclusions Greater dispensary access was associated with the proportions of certified residents and certifications for low evidence conditions. Whether these patterns are due to differences in accessibility or demand is unknown. Associations between community demographics and dispensary proximity may indicate MMJ access differences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric A. Wright
- Center for Pharmacy Innovation and Outcomes, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA
| | - Cara M. Nordberg
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA
| | - Joseph DeWalle
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA
| | - Elena L. Stains
- Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, PA, USA
| | | | - Joy Zhang
- Department of Health and Societies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lorraine D. Tusing
- Center for Pharmacy Innovation and Outcomes, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA
| | - Brian J. Piper
- Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, PA, USA
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Hanson M, Zougris K, Garcia-Santiago O. Contextualizing drug use and pharmacological harm in the United States: a socio-historical overview. J Ethn Subst Abuse 2023:1-29. [PMID: 37363938 DOI: 10.1080/15332640.2023.2224743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this conceptual paper is to navigate through the socio-historical modulations in American tolerance for different psychoactive substances, and propose a theoretical synthesis formed by two vanguard philosophical doctrines, objectivism, and constructivism. Our approach is grounded on the analysis of social historical context and objective harms that have influenced drug use tolerance in the United States based on key historical events such as: heavy drinking at the dawn of nineteenth century, the establishment and repeal of prohibition, late nineteenth century opiate and cocaine tolerance followed by early twentieth century prohibition, post-prohibition drug concerns such as marijuana prohibition in the 1930s, heroin concerns and medical depressant use in the 1950s, poly-drug use in the 1960s, crack cocaine use in the 1980s, and finally modulations in tolerance for peyote use. Evidence supports the notion of drug harms reduction for the privileged, and criminalization of drug use by marginalized groups. Over long spans of history, however, more objectively harmful drugs are rejected, while drugs that can be used regularly without serous dysfunction are tolerated and normalized. We argue that a framework of social status and pharmacological harm can account for the vacillating policy responses that have emerged to different drugs at different times. Our approach informs the role of socio-cultural conflict in drug policy development and infuse the need for empirical research on the effect of socioeconomic positioning on attitudes of medicalization and legalization of marijuana and opioid policy in contemporary America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Hanson
- Division of Social Sciences/Sociology, University of Hawaii West O'ahu, Kapolei, Hawaii, USA
| | - Konstantinos Zougris
- Division of Social Sciences/Sociology, University of Hawaii West O'ahu, Kapolei, Hawaii, USA
| | - Orlando Garcia-Santiago
- Division of Social Sciences/Sociology, University of Hawaii West O'ahu, Kapolei, Hawaii, USA
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Zolotov Y, Lomba J, Ghiroli M, Masyukova M, Arnsten JH, Starrels JL, Ross J, Cunningham CO, Slawek DE. "It doesn't make any sense to even try": the disruptive impact of COVID-19's first wave on people with chronic pain using medical cannabis in New York. J Cannabis Res 2023; 5:10. [PMID: 36978185 PMCID: PMC10049907 DOI: 10.1186/s42238-023-00180-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted health care but it is unknown how it impacted the lives of people using medical cannabis for chronic pain. OBJECTIVE To understand the experiences of individuals from the Bronx, NY, who had chronic pain and were certified to use medical cannabis during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS We conducted 1:1 semi-structured qualitative telephone interviews from March through May 2020 with a convenience sample of 14 individuals enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study. We purposively recruited participants with both frequent and infrequent patterns of cannabis use. Interviews addressed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on daily life, symptoms, medical cannabis purchase, and use. We conducted a thematic analysis, with a codebook approach, to identify and describe prominent themes. RESULTS Participants' median age was 49 years, nine were female, four were Hispanic, four were non-Hispanic White, and four were non-Hispanic Black. We identified three themes: (1) disrupted access to health services, (2) disrupted access to medical cannabis due to the pandemic, and (3) mixed impact of chronic pain on social isolation and mental health. Due to increased barriers to health care in general and to medical cannabis specifically, participants reduced medical cannabis use, stopped use, or substituted medical cannabis with unregulated cannabis. Living with chronic pain both prepared participants for the pandemic and made the pandemic more difficult. CONCLUSION The COVID-19 pandemic amplified pre-existing challenges and barriers to care, including to medical cannabis, among people with chronic pain. Understanding pandemic-era barriers may inform policies in ongoing and future public health emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Zolotov
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3300 Kossuth Ave, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA.
| | - Jacinta Lomba
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3300 Kossuth Ave, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Megan Ghiroli
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3300 Kossuth Ave, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Mariya Masyukova
- Department of Family and Social Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Julia H Arnsten
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3300 Kossuth Ave, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Joanna L Starrels
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3300 Kossuth Ave, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Jonathan Ross
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3300 Kossuth Ave, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Chinazo O Cunningham
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3300 Kossuth Ave, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Deepika E Slawek
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3300 Kossuth Ave, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
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