Cannabis as Stigmatized Medicine
In a article published in the February 2013, Harm Reduction Journal entitled, “Perceptions of cannabis as a stigmatized medicine: a qualitative descriptive study” authors Joan L Bottorff, Laura JL Bissell, Lynda G Balneaves, John L Oliffe, N Rielle Capler and Jane Buxton, state,
“Experiences of stigma among those with illness and the role stigma plays in seeking treatment are not new in the literature. However, in this literature it is not necessarily the treatment that is stigmatized, but the illness for which the treatment is used. CTP (Cannabis for Therapeutic Purposes) stands as one of the few treatments where users are directly stigmatized for their use of it regardless of their particular illness.” (Italics added for emphasis).
They concluded further that,
“The findings of this study shed light on how individuals using CTP experience stigma, and the effect on their physical and emotional wellbeing as well as the impact on healthcare interactions.”
Find the study here:
http://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1477-7517-10-2