Vast Majority Of Physicians Have No Idea About Medical Marijuana: Why The Lack Of Interest?

A recent survey by the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research revealed that most physicians lack adequate knowledge to guide patients on medical cannabis use.

“The current study assesses how physicians interact with patients regarding cannabis in their day-to-day practice, and whether and how they address important topics such as use patterns and substituting cannabis for medications,” the authors write.

About The Survey

The survey aims to assess physicians' education experiences related to cannabis, their knowledge, and competence regarding medical cannabis and the content of their discussions with patients.

Methods: Conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, the study “Physicians' Attitudes and Practices Regarding Cannabis and Recommending Medical Cannabis Use,” involved conducting an anonymous online survey among 244 physicians, per High Times.

Researchers examined the perceptions of physicians on sources of influence on patients regarding cannabis, as well as their attitudes towards medical cannabis dispensary staff and medical cannabis caregivers.

Findings

Researchers found that medical cannabis users tend not to trust healthcare providers for cannabis advice. Wonder why.

“A few physicians (10%) had ever signed a medical cannabis authorization form for their patients, consistent with their perceptions of low knowledge and competence in this area.” 

Physicians focus more on risks than dosage or harm reduction when discussing cannabis with patients. “Discussions on cannabis primarily focus on risks (63%) rather than dosage (6%) and harm reduction (25%).”

In order to ensure patients receive proper guidance and avoid potential harm, it's crucial to integrate medical cannabis education at all levels of medical and clinical training, concluded the survey. “Continued research is needed to provide a strong scientific basis for developing treatment guidelines and standardized medical education for medical cannabis use.”

Last year, Avicanna Inc. AVCNF, a biopharmaceutical company focused on cannabinoid-based products, launched a medical cannabis education portal program that provides free resources and practical information to healthcare professionals (HCPs) to help them better understand the potential use of medical cannabis.

This program is a positive example of the importance of medical and clinical education and highlights the need for continued research and standardized guidelines for medical cannabis use.

Photo: Courtesy Of National Cancer Institute On Unsplash