Grant: Team Grant: Cannabis Research in Priority Areas - Veterans' Health

Chronic pain is the primary cause of health care resource consumption and disability during adult working years in North America. Use of cannabis as a treatment option for managing chronic pain is increasing in Canada, in part due to pressure to decrease opioid prescribing. There are over 360,000 Canadians registered to use medicinal cannabis, including over 10,000 Veterans; however, use of cannabis to manage chronic pain remains controversial. We propose to develop a clinical practice guideline for cannabis and chronic pain, incorporating all available research evidence, considering patients values and preferences, and adopting current knowledge synthesis methods to develop an explicit, transparent, and evidence-based guideline. Patients, health care providers and policy makers will benefit from having access to recommendations based on the latest research evidence informing the safety and effectiveness of cannabis for chronic pain. This information will be especially impactful among older Canadians, indigenous populations, and Veterans, who are disproportionately affected by chronic pain.