Two-thirds of US clinicians believe cannabis has “medicinal uses”

Almost 70 percent of health professionals in the US believe cannabis can be used medically, according to a recent survey.

A team of investigators from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Public Health Service surveyed over 1,500 clinicians about their beliefs and practices related to cannabis.

Participants included family practice doctors, internists, nurse practitioners, and oncologists. 

Over two-thirds (68.9 percent) believed that cannabis has medicinal uses and just over a quarter (26.6 percent) had recommended it to a patient. 

However, researchers reported that some beliefs about which conditions medical cannabis could potentially be helpful for, did not always “align with the current scientific evidence”. 

And nearly two-thirds incorrectly reported the legal status of cannabis in their state, indicating that more education is needed.

Authors concluded: “Findings suggest that while clinicians believe that cannabis has medicinal uses, they may not have a full understanding of the scientific evidence and may not accurately understand their state-based policies for cannabis legalisation and use. 

“Given that clinicians are responsible for recommending medicinal cannabis in most states that have legalised it, ongoing education about the health effects of cannabis is warranted.”

The full study appears in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.