Patterns of Use and Patient-Reported Effects of Cannabinoids in People with PD

Patterns of Use and Patient-Reported Effects of Cannabinoids in

People With PD: A Nationwide Survey

Tangui Barré ,1 Géraldine Cazorla ,1 Vincent Di Beo,1 Fabienne Lopez,2

Lise Radoszycki,3 Gwenaëlle Maradan,4 Christelle Baunez ,5 and Patrizia Carrieri1

1INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, Sciences Economiques & Sociales de la Santé & Traitement de l’Information Médicale, ISSPAM,

Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France

2Principes Actifs, Lieusaint, France

3Carenity, Paris, France

4ORS PACA, Southeastern Health Regional Observatory, Marseille, France

5La Timone Neuroscience Institute (INT), UMR 7289 CNRS & Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France

Correspondence should be addressed to Géraldine Cazorla; geraldine.cazorla@inserm.fr

Received 20 December 2024; Accepted 25 April 2025

Academic Editor: Poulami Jha

Copyright © 2025 Tangui Barré et al. Parkinson’s Disease published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Tis is an open access article under

the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium,

provided the original work is properly cited.

Background: People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) may use cannabis-based products for symptom management. In France,

products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are prohibited, while cannabidiol (CBD)-products are readily available.

However, data on cannabinoid use in French people with PD are lacking.

Objectives: To identify correlates of the use of cannabis-based products and to document their patterns of use and perceived

effects.

Methods: A French nationwide online survey was conducted from May to July 2023. Regression analyses helped identify factors

associated with current cannabis and CBD use (regardless of their form). Patterns of use and self-reported effects were also

documented.

Results: Te study sample comprised 1136 participants, with a median age of 68 years. Six percent (5.9%) and 17.9% reported

using cannabis and CBD, respectively. Both substances were associated with better knowledge of cannabinoids and a poor self-

perceived household economic situation. Te most common routes of cannabis administration were oral ingestion (44.8%) and

smoking (41.4%); for CBD, they were oral ingestion (82.8%) and smoking (6.4%). Users reported that cannabis and CBD were very

effective for sleep disorders, pain, and rigidity/cramps. Te satisfaction level for both substances was also high.

Conclusion: Cannabis and CBD use among people with PD was associated with better knowledge about cannabinoids and a poor

self-perceived household economic situation. Furthermore, users reported high levels of satisfaction for both substances. An

enhanced communication with healthcare providers and facilitated access to safe cannabis/CBD products are needed in France to

enable people with PD to maximize the benefits of cannabinoids when clinically appropriate.

Keywords: cannabidiol; cannabis; pain; Parkinson’s disease; sleep disorders

1. Introduction

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by a number of

cardinal motor manifestations including bradykinesia, ri-

gidity, and rest tremor [1]. Dopamine replacement strategies

are commonly used to treat these symptoms. PD

development is also accompanied by several and varied

nonmotor symptoms, such as pain and sleep disorders [2],

for which treatment options are limited [3]. Long-term

dopaminergic treatment may also bring about motor and

nonmotor symptoms [4, 5]. All these symptoms weigh

heavily on patients’ quality of life [6–8]. Compared to

Wiley

Parkinson’s Disease

Volume 2025, Article ID 2979089, 11 pages

Click link for full review

https://doi.org/10.1155/padi/2979089