Questionnaires in Assessing Attitudes About Legalization of Marijuana Use in Participants With Cancer

A Comparison of the Attitudes About Legalization of Marijuana Use for Medical Purposes by Cancer Patients in Two Cancer Centers Located in a Legalized and a Non-Legalized State

This trial studies attitudes about legalization of marijuana use in participants with cancer. Questionnaires may help doctors to learn about and compare the attitudes that patients in non-legalized and legalized states have towards the legalization of medical marijuana.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To compare the proportion of cancer patients' who have a positive attitude about legalizing marijuana for medical purposes between those in a legalized versus (vs.) a non-legalized state.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To evaluate the association of cancer patients' belief in the usefulness of medical marijuana in their state of residency (Texas versus Arizona).

II. To examine the association of demographic, physical and psychosocial characteristics of patients and their perception of medical marijuana.

III. To examine the preference of patients for treatment of pain, anxiety and depression between medical marijuana vs. opioids, anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications.

IV. To examine the association of media to perception of use of medical marijuana.

V. To evaluate the association of cancer patients' attitude about legalizing marijuana for medical purposes vs. recreational purposes.

VI. To examine the association of patients who have used marijuana for certain medical conditions/symptoms and their belief of how it has affected that condition/symptom.

VII. To compare demographic, physical and psychosocial characteristics of patients who have used marijuana for medical purposes.

VIII. To compare demographic, physical and psychosocial characteristics of patients who have used marijuana for non-medical purposes. IX. To compare demographic, physical and psychosocial characteristics of patients who believe marijuana is useful for medical reasons.

OUTLINE:

Participants complete 5 questionnaires.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients (inpatient or outpatient) seen by the Palliative Care team at Banner MD Anderson or UT MD Anderson
• Patients able to speak and read English
• Patients enrolled in each site must be a resident of the state where that site is located (e.g. if a patient is enrolled at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center [MDACC], they should be resident of the state of Texas)
• Patients should have a cancer diagnosis

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who are not able to speak or read English
• Altered mental status as determined by the interviewer based on the ability to understand the nature of the study and consent process