Acceptability of and attitudes to the therapeutic use of cannabis and cannabidiol in people with Parkinson’s disease: A French survey

Introduction

Cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD) may potentially alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), although clinical results to date have provided conflicting evidence. In France, cannabis use is illegal outside the current restricted medical cannabis experimental framework which does not include PD as an eligible condition. In contrast, CBD products are legal and are easily available. We aimed to evaluate the acceptability of therapeutic cannabis and CBD use, and to assess cannabinoid-related attitudes among people with PD in France, with a view to assessing the potential inclusion of medical cannabinoids in PD treatment options.

Methods

We conducted a French nationwide online survey among people with PD. Cannabis and CBD acceptability levels were derived from the answers to four questions. Logistic regressions were performed to identify factors associated with these levels. We also collected data on knowledge, information-seeking, and barriers to self-medication.

Results

Of 1136 participants, acceptability levels of medical cannabis and CBD use were 81.7% and 87.4%, respectively. For both substances, acceptability was associated with the presence of anxiety symptoms, greater knowledge about cannabinoids, seeking information on medical cannabis, and considering the risk of cannabis dependence to be low. A fear of dependence was one of the main barriers to using either substance; healthcare providers were rarely mentioned as sources of information on medical cannabis.

Conclusions

Acceptability levels of cannabis and CBD were high. Acceptability was associated with knowledge and perceptions of cannabinoids. Given ongoing misconceptions about the effects and risks associated with CBD, disseminating accurate information could increase its acceptability in people with PD.