A recent study found an overwhelming majority of nurse practitioner (NP) students surveyed feel medical marijuana should be legal across the USA. But their knowledge of its use could do with some improvement.
Of the 115 NPs who met inclusion criteria for the cross-sectional descriptive study, 94% believed medical marijuana (MM) should be legalized in all US states and 97% felt related education should be included in NP program curricula. But just 30% reported receiving in-depth education on the topic.
That lack of education became apparent when the participants were asked to identify approved indications for medical use among 18 provided conditions, with a low accurate response rate.
The researchers behind the study, from the School of Nursing at Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts concluded:
“With an increasing number of states legalizing MM, NP programs must evaluate their current curricula and integrate content that addresses the gap in knowledge of MM mechanism of action, indications, and adverse reactions.”
This wasn’t the first time that a study examining nurse practitioner study attitudes was carried out. Another study published in 2020 indicated 75% of the surveyed students agreed with the legalization of medical marijuana – significantly lower than the latest study, perhaps indicating understanding of MM among NP students has evolved to some degree. That study also found a lack of knowledge and confidence levels regarding MM efficacy, safety and drug interactions.
On a related note, in July this year the American Nurses Association (ANA) backed the potential rescheduling of cannabis from Schedule I to III; in fact, wanting cannabis to ultimately be removed from Controlled Substances Act (CSA) scheduling altogether. The ANA has supported the provision of evidence-based compassionate therapeutic cannabis and advancement of related research since 1996.
In its 2021 position paper, the ANA stated:
“ANA actively supports patients’ rights to legally and safely use marijuana and related cannabinoids for therapeutic symptom management, as well as the nurse’s promotion of quality of life for patients using such therapy.”
The ANA has some clout: it has members in all 50 states and U.S. territories, and represents the interests of the USA’s 5 million Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (ARPNs), which includes nurse practitioners.
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