Role Strain Among Parents Who are Medical Cannabis Patients in Pennsylvania

As medical cannabis legalization expands in the United States, more parents and people of child-bearing age are becoming medical cannabis patients (MCP). This analysis uses the theory of role strain to explore how parents navigate being an MCP in Pennsylvania. Twenty four semi-structured qualitative interviews with parents from an ongoing registry study of MCP were analyzed using an a priori codebook and complemented by codes to capture emergent themes. Additionally, memowriting was utilized to refine the analysis and validate findings. Parents described their cannabis use as supportive of their parental role through the reduction of physical and psychological symptoms, improvements to mood, and increased patience with children. However, participants also reported that fear of legal consequences and stigma around their medical cannabis use put strain on their role as parents. The MCP role both supports and strains the parental role depending on context and situation. Results indicate a need for more research among parents who are MCP, especially along lines of identity and factors such as race, and ethnicity.