Storage and disposal of medical cannabis among patients with cancer: Assessing the risk of diversion and unintentional digestion. Issue 21 (15th July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sznitman, Sharon R.; Goldberg, Victoria; Sheinman‐Yuffe, Hedva; Flechter, Ezequiel; Bar‐Sela, Gil
• Is Part Of: Cancer. Volume 122:Issue 21(2016)
• Page Start: 3363
• Page End: 3370
• Publication Date: 2016-07-15
• Subjects: disposal -- diversion -- unintentional digestion -- medical cannabis -- oncology patients -- storage; Cancer -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Cytopathology -- Periodicals; 616.99405
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.30185
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0008-543X

Abstract

Abstract : BACKGROUND: Increasingly more jurisdictions worldwide are legalizing medical cannabis. Major concerns related to such policies are that improper storage and disposal arrangements may lead to the diversion and unintentional digestion of cannabis. These concerns are particularly acute among patients with cancer because they take home medical cannabis for extended periods and have high rates of treatment termination and mortality shortly after the onset of treatment with medical cannabis. Therefore, leftover cannabis is potentially particularly prevalent, and potentially improperly stored, in households of current and deceased patients with cancer. The current study investigated the risk of medical cannabis diversion and unintentional digestion among oncology patients treated with medical cannabis and caregivers of recently deceased patients who were treated with medical cannabis. METHODS: A total of 123 oncology patients treated with medical cannabis and 37 caregivers of deceased oncology patients treated with medical cannabis were interviewed regarding practices and the information received concerning the safe storage and disposal of medical cannabis, as well as experiences of theft, diversion, and unintentional digestion. RESULTS: High rates of suboptimal storage were reported and caregivers were found to be particularly unlikely to have received information regarding the safe storage and disposal of medical cannabis. Few incidences of theft, diversion, and unintentional digestion were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Oncologists and other health care providers have an important, yet unfilled, role to play with regard to educating patients and caregivers of the importance of the safe storage and disposal of medical cannabis. Interventions designed to alert patients treated with medical cannabis and their caregivers to the problem of diversion, along with strategies to limit it, have the potential to limit diversion and unintentional exposure to medical cannabis. Cancer 2016;122:3363–3370 . © 2016 American Cancer Society . Abstract : The results of the current study demonstrate high rates of suboptimal storage practices of medical cannabis as well as a lack of information given to patients and caregivers regarding the proper storage and disposal of medical cannabis. The findings herein indicate that oncologists and other health care providers have an important, yet unfilled, role to play in educating patients and caregivers of the importance of storing and disposing of medical cannabis in a safe manner.