Child &adolescent Medical Marijuana Use: An Acceptability Study

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, with estimates of its use ranging from 20 million to 80 million regular users. Marijuana is unique because although individual states are legalizing marijuana for various uses, it still remains federally illegal. The legal landscape for medical marijuana is complex and rapidly changing. The purpose of this study was to conduct quantitative research to assess parental attitudes regarding acceptability of the use of medical marijuana for symptom relief for children with chronic or terminal illnesses. The study population included adults living in the United States who are the parents or legal guardians of children (aged 0-17) living with chronic or terminal illnesses for which medical marijuana use has been indicated. Participants were recruited through solicitation over email to support group networks for parents of children with cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other chronic/terminal illnesses. A self-administered anonymous survey containing 24 questions was used to collect data from the target population using Survey Monkey software. The survey information page and link were distributed to 36 organizations with unknown listserv distribution lists. A total of 29 respondents clicked on the hyperlink to take the survey, with 13 respondents meeting the inclusion criteria to participate in the study. White, Christian women with sons were oversampled, representing the majority of study participants. Correlational research was not completed, as all study participants supported the medicinal uses of marijuana both hypothetically and specifically for treating their own child. With a low level of generalizability, implications for future research are discussed in the paper.