A majority of U.S. healthcare professionals support medical cannabis access but lack formal training on how to incorporate it into clinical care, according to survey data published in the Journal of Cannabis Research.
The anonymous, web-based survey included 879 healthcare professionals, most of whom reported already encountering cannabis use among their patients. Eighty-nine percent of respondents said they had patients who use cannabis, while 87% said they believe cannabis has therapeutic promise. Ninety-five percent said they support legal medical cannabis use, and 74% said they would be open to recommending medical cannabis to patients.
The survey group included mental health professionals, registered nurses, physicians, and advanced practice providers. Respondents rated their own cannabis knowledge highest on risks and therapeutic indications, but researchers found much lower scores when participants were tested on objective knowledge of cannabis-related risks, therapeutic uses, and mechanisms of action.
The most common sources of cannabis knowledge were personal experience and popular media, cited by 76% and 73% of respondents, respectively. Researchers also found that fewer respondents had received structured clinical training on cannabis, even though many expressed being open to using it in practice.
The most commonly-cited concerns around clinical cannabis use included a lack of trained
