Toronto — Most workers who use cannabis to deal with work-related accidents and diseases achieve this with out medical steering or authorization, a current study out of Canada suggests.
Researchers from the Institute for Work and Health examined knowledge for practically 1,200 workers within the Ontario Life After Work Injury Study. The individuals, who had an harm or sickness that resulted in a minimum of one misplaced workday, have been interviewed 18 to 36 months post-injury/sickness.
Overall, 27.4% of the workers reported using cannabis up to now yr. Of that group, 14.1% did so to ease signs stemming from a work-related situation, with the bulk (67.3%) not receiving steering on therapeutic cannabis use from a well being care supplier.
“Workers using cannabis for their condition were less likely to be working (58%) and more likely to have quite a bit/extreme pain interference (48.5%), psychological distress (26%) and sleep problems most/all the time (62.1%), compared with those not using cannabis … and those using cannabis for other reasons,” the researchers write.
They add that well being care suppliers “should be aware that their patients may be using cannabis to manage physical and mental symptoms arising from a work-related condition and be prepared to speak candidly with workers about their cannabis use, including potential harms and benefits, as well as issues of workplace impairment.”
The study was printed on-line within the journal BMJ Open.
