“The Times They Are A-Changin’” Knowledge and Perceptions Regarding Medical Cannabis in an Academic Family Medicine Department

Background and Objectives The United States has seen an evolving perspective on the medical use of cannabis in recent years. Although a majority of states have enacted medical cannabis programs, physicians practicing in these states report a lack of knowledge, lingering concerns, and a need for more training regarding medical cannabis. This study provides a current snapshot of medical cannabis education in an academic family medicine department in a state with a medical cannabis program. Methods An electronic survey was sent to all 134 faculty physicians and residents within a family medicine department to assess current knowledge and attitudes regarding medical cannabis. Study authors performed descriptive statistical analysis of the survey data. Results Of the 61 individuals to complete the survey, 34 were residents and 27 were faculty. Overall, respondents displayed poor understanding of the state's medical cannabis program as well as cannabis regulations. A majority of both faculty and residents reported low self-rated competency levels for medical cannabis efficacy, adverse effects, and safety using Likert scales (1 to 5; 1=low competency, 5=high competency). A majority of faculty (56%) expressed that they did not intend to certify patients for medical cannabis compared to only 33% of residents. Residents were statistically more likely to think of a patient who might benefit from medical cannabis compared to faculty (39% vs 11%, P=.004, chi-square). Conclusions Increasingly, family physicians will be called on to provide informed patient counseling regarding medical cannabis. These results highlight a knowledge gap for family medicine learners in a changing practice landscape.