Who do most doctors turn to for cannabis education?

A recent survey found that 71% of Society of Cannabis Clinicians affiliated physicians learned about medicinal cannabis at conferences. Only 1 participant out of 37 participants reported learning about medicinal cannabis at medical school.

This survey confirms that general medical schools do not offer cannabis classes for either undergraduate or graduate students, a problem highlighted by the cannabis community on countless occasions. However, a majority of physicians indicated they were satisfied with the amount of cannabis information available to assist physicians in prescribing medicinal cannabis.

The purpose of the survey was to examine the level and source of knowledge of prescribers in California and other states. Because California was the first state to legalize cannabis, researchers assumed that doctors in that state would know more about cannabis. Surprisingly, this did not turn out to be true from the survey.

Photo by Esther Kelleter/EyeEm/Getty Images

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The survey forms were sent electronically to the Society’s members. Only physicians were admitted to the study and participation was purely voluntary with no incentives. A total of 133 members were eligible for the survey and 45 completed it. Here are some key findings highlighted by the survey:

  • 71% of participating physicians acquired most of their cannabis knowledge from conferences
  • Over 50% of physicians said they were satisfied with the information available about medicinal cannabis
  • Over 75% had sufficient knowledge about cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system

The researchers were surprised to find that the level of knowledge among physicians about medicinal cannabis did not vary between states. Physicians in California were not better informed compared to physicians from other states, even though California has the oldest medical marijuana program.

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It was concluded that more effort needs to be put into ensuring that physicians’ knowledge of medicinal cannabis is improved. Achieving this may require overhauling medical school curricula to include the endocannabinoid system and cannabinoid-based medicine.

This article originally appeared on MyCannabis and has been republished with permission.

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