Table 1
Frequency Count and Percentage of Categorical Demographic Variables.
| VARIABLE | NON-CANNABIS USERS | NO CANNABIS USE IN PAST 6 MONTHS | CURRENT CANNABIS USERS | COMBINED | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | N | % | N | % | |
| Total | 115 | 22.42 | 70 | 13.65 | 328 | 63.94 | 513 | 100 |
| Sex | ||||||||
| Female | 21 | 18.26 | 14 | 20.00 | 45 | 13.72 | 80 | 15.59 |
| Male | 93 | 80.87 | 56 | 80.00 | 280 | 85.37 | 429 | 83.63 |
| Non-disclosed | 1 | 0.87 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.91 | 4 | 0.77 |
| Race | ||||||||
| White | 104 | 92.86 | 64 | 92.75 | 290 | 89.78 | 458 | 90.87 |
| Black | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.93 | 3 | 0.60 |
| Indigenous | 5 | 4.46 | 4 | 5.80 | 21 | 6.50 | 30 | 5.95 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.31 | 1 | 0.20 |
| Hispanic | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.31 | 1 | 0.20 |
| South Asian | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 1.45 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.20 |
| Mixed race | 3 | 2.68 | 0 | 0.00 | 7 | 2.17 | 10 | 1.98 |
| Marital Status | ||||||||
| Single | 9 | 7.96 | 4 | 5.80 | 23 | 7.01 | 36 | 7.06 |
| Common law | 18 | 15.93 | 10 | 14.49 | 33 | 10.06 | 61 | 11.96 |
| Married | 64 | 56.64 | 43 | 62.32 | 203 | 61.89 | 310 | 60.78 |
| Divorced/separated | 17 | 15.04 | 9 | 13.04 | 62 | 18.90 | 88 | 17.25 |
| Widowed | 5 | 4.42 | 3 | 4.35 | 7 | 2.13 | 15 | 2.94 |
| Survey language | ||||||||
| English | 97 | 84.35 | 64 | 91.43 | 313 | 95.43 | 474 | 92.40 |
| French | 18 | 15.65 | 6 | 8.57 | 15 | 4.57 | 39 | 7.60 |
| Highest level of education | ||||||||
| No highschool degree | 15 | 13.39 | 6 | 8.57 | 26 | 7.98 | 47 | 9.25 |
| Highschool | 22 | 19.64 | 22 | 31.43 | 79 | 24.23 | 123 | 24.21 |
| College/trade school | 43 | 38.39 | 30 | 42.86 | 164 | 50.31 | 237 | 46.65 |
| Undergrad degree | 20 | 17.86 | 8 | 11.43 | 42 | 12.88 | 70 | 13.78 |
| Graduate degree | 12 | 10.71 | 4 | 5.71 | 15 | 4.60 | 31 | 6.10 |
| CAF branch | ||||||||
| Army | 71 | 62.83 | 42 | 60.87 | 199 | 62.58 | 312 | 62.40 |
| Navy | 21 | 18.58 | 8 | 11.59 | 57 | 17.92 | 86 | 17.20 |
| Air Force | 21 | 18.58 | 19 | 27.54 | 62 | 19.50 | 102 | 20.40 |
| Rank upon release | ||||||||
| Junior NCM | 43 | 38.39 | 29 | 42.03 | 162 | 52.43 | 234 | 47.76 |
| NCO | 39 | 34.82 | 32 | 46.38 | 117 | 37.86 | 188 | 38.37 |
| Commissioned | 30 | 26.79 | 8 | 11.59 | 30 | 9.71 | 68 | 13.88 |
| Employment | ||||||||
| Unemployed | 18 | 15.65 | 17 | 24.29 | 110 | 33.54 | 145 | 28.72 |
| Student/training | 1 | 0.87 | 1 | 1.43 | 6 | 1.83 | 8 | 1.56 |
| Employed | 27 | 23.48 | 21 | 30.00 | 53 | 16.16 | 101 | 19.69 |
| Retired | 69 | 60.00 | 31 | 44.29 | 159 | 48.48 | 259 | 50.49 |
| Disability | ||||||||
| No | 82 | 71.30 | 44 | 62.86 | 174 | 53.05 | 300 | 58.48 |
| Yes | 33 | 28.70 | 26 | 37.14 | 154 | 46.95 | 213 | 41.52 |
| Mental health condition | ||||||||
| No | 39 | 33.91 | 22 | 31.43 | 72 | 21.95 | 133 | 25.93 |
| Yes | 76 | 66.09 | 48 | 68.57 | 256 | 78.05 | 380 | 74.07 |
[i] Note. NCM = Non-commissioned member, NCO = Non-commissioned officer. All percentages are calculated as valid percentages (i.e., the proportion of non-missing cases that fall into a certain category).
Table 2
Mean and Standard Deviation of Continuous Demographic Variables.
| VARIABLE | NON-CANNABIS USERS | NO CANNABIS USE IN PAST 6 MONTHS | CURRENT CANNABIS USERS | COMBINED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 60.07 (8.63) | 58.25 (8.59) | 57.35 (8.35) | 58.08 (8.50) |
| Year joined CAF | 1983 (10.50) | 1984 (10.21) | 1986 (10.36) | 1985 (10.40) |
| Year released from CAF | 2003 (15.49) | 2004 (13.93) | 2005 (12.67) | 2004 (13.50) |
| Total years of service | 20.43 (11.57) | 20.98 (11.12) | 19.72 (10.73) | 20.04 (10.96) |
| Years since release | 20.33 (15.49) | 19.20 (13.93) | 18.07 (12.67) | 18.71 (13.50) |
[i] Notes. Numerical data format: Mean (Standard Deviation). Missing cases were excluded.
Table 3
Frequency and Impact of Cannabis Use on Mental Health Conditions in Canadian Veterans Who Use Cannabis, Have Chronic Pain, and Have a History of Trauma.
| CONDITION | HAS CANNABIS USE HELPED THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CANNABIS USE FOR BELOW CONDITIONS | NO CHANGE | HELPFUL | MADE IT WORSE | |||||||
| N | % | N | % | N | % | N | % | |||
| PTSD | 174 | 58.59 | 40 | 23.95 | 127 | 76.05 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| Depression | 142 | 47.81 | 14 | 10.00 | 125 | 89.29 | 1 | 0.71 | ||
| Anxiety | 185 | 62.29 | 15 | 8.15 | 164 | 89.13 | 5 | 2.72 | ||
| Sleep Problems | 228 | 76.77 | 17 | 7.56 | 207 | 92.00 | 1 | 0.44 | ||
[i] Note. All percentages are calculated as valid percentages (i.e., the proportion of non-missing cases that fall into a certain category).
Table 4
Mean and Standard Deviation of PCL-5, PHQ-ADS, ISI, and PCL-5 Symptom Cluster Scores across Predictor Variables in Canadian Veterans with Chronic Pain and a History of Trauma.
| VARIABLE | n | PCL-5 | PCL-B | PCL-C | PCL-D | PCL-E | PHQ-ADS | ISI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis use | ||||||||
| Never | 114 | 32.88 (17.57) | 7.92 (5.03) | 3.67 (2.32) | 11.00 (6.71) | 10.29 (5.32) | 20.55 (10.54) | 14.78 (6.14) |
| Non-current | 70 | 34.54 (17.72) | 7.75 (5.05) | 3.60 (2.59) | 12.11 (6.96) | 11.08 (5.04) | 21.58 (10.65) | 15.24 (4.91) |
| Current | 325 | 37.00 (16.82) | 8.51 (4.73) | 4.01 (2.23) | 12.79 (6.54) | 11.69 (5.20) | 22.47 (10.17) | 15.39 (5.88) |
| Sex | ||||||||
| Female | 80 | 39.09 (15.89) | 8.69 (4.87) | 4.32 (2.29) | 14.12 (6.15) | 11.97 (4.59) | 24.29 (8.99) | 16.77 (4.61) |
| Male | 429 | 35.12 (17.35) | 8.20 (4.84) | 3.80 (2.30) | 11.95 (6.71) | 11.17 (5.34) | 21.48 (10.51) | 14.94 (5.97) |
| Talk therapy attendance | ||||||||
| No | 244 | 28.63 (15.65) | 6.74 (4.55) | 3.12 (2.21) | 9.58 (6.05) | 9.19 (4.74) | 18.22 (9.39) | 14.19 (5.57) |
| Yes | 265 | 42.29 (15.88) | 9.69 (4.68) | 4.58 (2.17) | 14.79 (6.22) | 13.23 (4.91) | 25.32 (9.99) | 16.19 (5.88) |
[i] Notes. Numeical data format: Mean (Standard Deviation). Those who did not disclose their sex (n = 4) were excluded from analysis due to this group’s inclusion violating assumptions of the MATS (i.e., their inclusion created factor level combinations with less than two observations).
Table 5
Mean and Standard Deviation of PCL-5, PHQ-ADS, ISI, and PCL-5 Symptom Cluster Scores across Predictor Variables in Canadian Veterans Who Use Cannabis, Have Chronic Pain, and Have a History of Trauma.
| N | PCL-5 | PCL-B | PCL-C | PCL-D | PCL-E | PHQ-ADS | ISI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis Prescription | ||||||||
| No | 68 | 32.48 (17.01) | 7.38 (4.77) | 3.68 (2.24) | 11.13 (6.37) | 10.29 (4.99) | 21.42 (9.46) | 14.54 (5.79) |
| Yes | 257 | 38.30 (16.60) | 8.82 (4.68) | 4.11 (2.22) | 13.27 (6.52) | 12.10 (5.21) | 22.78 (10.32) | 15.56 (6.04) |
| Preferred route of administration | ||||||||
| Inhaled | 100 | 36.08 (16.34) | 8.38 (4.55) | 3.90 (2.18) | 12.64 (6.30) | 11.16 (5.28) | 22.35 (9.79) | 14.77 (6.27) |
| Ingested | 101 | 36.07 (16.19) | 8.09 (4.49) | 3.71 (2.29) | 12.29 (6.33) | 11.98 (5.16) | 21.90 (9.83) | 15.61 (5.89) |
| Absorbed | 29 | 33.28 (20.62) | 7.06 (5.12) | 4.09 (2.56) | 11.18 (8.35) | 10.95 (5.66) | 20.96 (11.37) | 14.79 (6.02) |
| Multiple | 95 | 40.38 (16.48) | 9.56 (4.92) | 4.46 (2.08) | 14.09 (6.27) | 12.27 (5.03) | 23.75 (10.47) | 15.86 (5.82) |
| THC:CBD ratio | ||||||||
| Low | 82 | 37.55 (16.68) | 8.60 (4.79) | 4.02 (2.23) | 13.11 (6.59) | 11.83 (4.79) | 22.25 (8.66) | 16.08 (5.08) |
| Equal | 123 | 35.66 (17.12) | 8.57 (4.76) | 3.99 (2.27) | 11.91 (6.64) | 11.19 (5.43) | 21.62 (10.81) | 15.08 (6.26) |
| High | 120 | 38.23 (16.66) | 8.41 (4.70) | 4.06 (2.21) | 13.57 (6.33) | 12.18 (5.24) | 23.55 (10.37) | 15.13 (6.29) |
| Grams/day | ||||||||
| <3 grams | 152 | 35.37 (17.35) | 8.08 (5.09) | 3.70 (2.34) | 12.15 (6.62) | 11.44 (5.09) | 22.00 (10.30) | 15.11 (5.95) |
| 3 grams | 64 | 38.70 (17.18) | 8.68 (4.53) | 4.33 (2.16) | 13.33 (6.65) | 12.36 (5.61) | 23.59 (10.02) | 15.81 (6.42) |
| >3 grams | 109 | 38.52 (15.76) | 9.03 (4.30) | 4.29 (2.07) | 13.48 (6.30) | 11.72 (5.14) | 22.55 (10.05) | 15.42 (5.83) |
[i] Notes. Numerical data format: Mean (Standard Deviation). Those who did not disclose their sex (n = 3) were excluded from analysis due to this group’s inclusion violating assumptions of the MATS (i.e., their inclusion created factor level combinations with less than two observations).
Table 6
MANOVAs Investigating How Cannabis Use, Talk Therapy, and Sex Impact PCL-5, PHQ-ADS, ISI, and PCL-5 Symptom Cluster Scores in Canadian Veterans Who Have Chronic Pain and a History of Trauma.
| PREDICTOR | MANOVA | |
|---|---|---|
| MATSa | p | |
| Cannabis use MANOVA for PCL-5, PHQ-ADS, and ISI | ||
| Cannabis use | 10.29 | .287 |
| Talk therapy | 88.78 | <.001 |
| Sex | 4.00 | .332 |
| Cannabis use * Talk therapy | 15.00 | .138 |
| Cannabis use * Sex | 9.04 | .340 |
| Talk therapy * Sex | 1.28 | .712 |
| Cannabis use * Talk therapy *Sex | 15.41 | .136 |
| Cannabis use MANOVA for PCL-5 symptom cluster scores | ||
| Cannabis use | 21.95 | .094 |
| Talk therapy | 166.71 | <.001 |
| Sex | 4.15 | .415 |
| Cannabis use * Talk therapy | 29.78 | .043 |
| Cannabis use * Sex | 3.78 | .797 |
| Talk therapy * Sex | 4.69 | .370 |
| Cannabis use * Talk therapy *Sex | 34.75 | .029 |
[i] Note. Those who did not disclose their sex (n = 4) were excluded from analysis due to this group’s inclusion violating assumptions of the MATS (i.e., their inclusion created factor level combinations with less than two observations). Statistically significant p values are bolded (i.e., p < .05).
aA MATS score quantifies the relative difference between two means and performs well with data that has homogeneous variances/covariances and non-normal distributions.
Table 7
Post hoc Analysis on Main Effect of Talk Therapy Attendance on Participants’ PCL-5, PHQ-ADS, ISI, and PCL-5 Symptom ClusterScores in Canadian Veterans Who Have Chronic Pain and a History of Trauma.
| MEASURE | MEAN DIFFERENCE | 95% CI | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talk therapy Yes – No | |||
| PCL-5 Total | 13.66 | [10.93, 16.40] | <.001 |
| PCL B | 2.95 | [2.15, 3.75] | <.001 |
| PCL C | 1.47 | [1.09, 1.85] | <.001 |
| PCL D | 5.21 | [4.14, 6.27] | <.001 |
| PCL E | 4.04 | [3.20, 4.88] | <.001 |
| PHQ-ADS | 7.10 | [5.42, 8.79] | <.001 |
| ISI | 2.01 | [1.01, 3.00] | <.001 |
[i] Note. Shown p values were adjusted by the Benjamini-Hochberg adjustment to control for family-wise error rate.
Table 8
Multiple MANOVAs Investigating the Impact of Cannabis Prescription, Route of Administration, THC:CBD Ratio, and Grams/day on PCL-5, PHQ-ADS, ISI, and PCL-5 Symptom Cluster Scores in Canadian Veterans Who Use Cannabis, Have Chronic Pain, and Have a History of Trauma.
| PREDICTOR | MANOVA | |
|---|---|---|
| MATSa | P | |
| 2 × 2 MANOVAs for cannabis prescription and sex | ||
| Outcomes: PCL-5, PHQ-ADS, and ISI | ||
| Cannabis prescription | 15.66 | .017 |
| Sex | 0.91 | .776 |
| Prescription * Sex | 3.71 | .317 |
| Outcomes: PCL-5 symptom clusters | ||
| Cannabis prescription | 23.29 | .017 |
| Sex | 1.63 | .707 |
| Prescription * Sex | 2.59 | .547 |
| 2 × 4 MANOVAs for route of administration and sex | ||
| Outcomes: PCL-5, PHQ-ADS, and ISI | ||
| Cannabis route | 12.07 | .292 |
| Sex | 1.43 | .639 |
| Route * Sex | 6.02 | .697 |
| Outcomes: PCL-5 symptom clusters | ||
| Cannabis route | 27.51 | .099 |
| Sex | 1.34 | .680 |
| Route * Sex | 9.87 | .571 |
| 2 × 4 MANOVAs for THC:CBD ratio and sex | ||
| Outcomes: PCL-5, PHQ-ADS, and ISI | ||
| THC:CBD | 19.18 | .027 |
| Sex | 5.20 | .182 |
| THC:CBD * Sex | 17.65 | .036 |
| Outcomes: PCL-5 symptom clusters | ||
| THC:CBD | 31.96 | .013 |
| Sex | 3.68 | .377 |
| THC:CBD * Sex | 34.15 | .010 |
| 2 × 4 MANOVAs for grams/day and sex | ||
| Outcomes: PCL-5, PHQ-ADS, and ISI | ||
| Grams/day | 1.08 | .973 |
| Sex | 1.32 | .688 |
| Grams/day * Sex | 3.59 | .723 |
| Outcomes: PCL-5 symptom clusters | ||
| Grams/day | 6.07 | .575 |
| Sex | 2.66 | .511 |
| Grams/day * Sex | 7.50 | .467 |
[i] Note. Those who did not disclose their sex (n = 3) were excluded from analysis due to this group’s inclusion violating assumptions of the MATS (i.e., their inclusion created factor level combinations with less than two observations). Statistically significant p values are bolded (i.e., p < .05).
aA MATS score quantifies the relative difference between two means and performs well with data that has homogeneous variances/covariances and non-normal distributions.
Table 9
Post hoc Analysis of the Main Effect of Cannabis Prescription on PCL-5 and Relevant PCL-5 Symptom Clustersin Canadian Veterans Who Use Cannabis, Have Chronic Pain, and Have a History of Trauma.
| MEASURE | MEAN DIFFERENCE | 95% CI | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis prescription Yes – No | |||
| PCL-5 total | 5.83 | [1.28, 10.38] | .042 |
| PCL B | 1.44 | [0.16, 2.72] | .041 |
| PCL D | 2.14 | [0.42, 3.86] | .034 |
| PCL E | 1.81 | [0.46, 3.16] | .034 |
[i] Note. Shown p values were adjusted by the Benjamini-Hochberg adjustment to control for family-wise error rate.
