Ontario Life After Work Injury Study: Cannabis use and long-term recovery and return-to-work outcomes among Ontario injured workers

Reasons for the study

Interest is growing in the role of medical cannabis for the treatment of work-related injuries and illnesses. However, little is known about how workers with work-related conditions use cannabis and how their use may relate to their recovery and return to work.

In this study, workers’ compensation claimants who participated in the Ontario Life After Work Injury Study (OLAWIS) are being interviewed again 18 months after their first interview (i.e. about three years after filing their workers' compensation claim). The aim is to better understand their experiences with using cannabis for their work-related condition, as well as their experiences seeking medical authorization and workers' compensation reimbursement for this use. More in-depth interviews with select workers from the larger sample will provide important context to these issues.

Objectives of the study

Target audience

This project will provide information to health-care providers, injured worker advocates and workers’ compensation authorities to help inform programs, policies and practices around cannabis use among injured an ill workers in Ontario, including an identification of the worker subgroups most likely to benefit from guidance around use.