Attitudes and beliefs of medicine and social work students about medical cannabis use for epilepsy

Edelstein, Offer E.

doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108522

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Some studies have investigated medical students' attitudes and knowledge regarding MC and its use as a medical intervention [36,[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47]. Research from the US and other countries indicated that medical students possess a considerable desire for more formal education about MC, including learning about its potential for dependency/addiction [37,48].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medical Students’ Attitudes, Knowledge, and Beliefs about Medical Cannabis: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Jacobs¹,

Colon²,

Kane³

2022

Cureus

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BackgroundThere has been increased attention given to understanding the uses of medical cannabis (MC) for symptom management of various medical conditions. Physicians receive minimal training in medical school and rely mostly on anecdotal evidence; by proxy, medical students generally do receive formal training in MC. It is unknown how medical students perceive MC, including its efficacy, appropriateness in medicine, its possible adverse effects, and its value for patients. This study investigated medical students' perceived knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward MC to better understand their knowledge about and attitudes toward MC. MethodUsing a semi-structured interview guide, eight focus groups were conducted with 83 medical students via Zoom virtual meeting platform (Zoom Video Communications, Inc., San Jose, California, United States) in June 2022. The interviews were guided by the following content areas: (1) beliefs about cannabis' therapeutic utility, (2) perceived knowledge about MC, (3) the role of the physician regarding MC, (4) concern for cannabis' adverse effects, and (5) MC education in the school curriculum. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, an iterative, systematic process of coding patterns, and emerged themes in the interview data to explore medical students' perceptions about MC. Themes were validated based on whether each theme captured distinct parts of the interview data and whether their content cohered meaningfully. ResultsFour themes emerged from the focus group interviews investigating medical students' perceptions of MC:(1) erroneous beliefs about MC, (2) unreliable sources of information, (3) mixed attitudes toward legalization, and (4) desire for MC education while in medical school. Attitudes regarding MC in general, including legalization, varied by United States state of origin of the student and exposure to MC (e.g., use by family member). ConclusionMC seems to be a significant issue for medical trainees who might be required to recommend it to patients and manage coexisting therapies. Cultivating new knowledge about students' perceptions and perceived knowledge about medicinal options and dosing of MC is critical for medical educators as they design undergraduate curricular initiatives for future physicians.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medical Students’ Attitudes, Knowledge, and Beliefs about Medical Cannabis: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Jacobs¹,

Colon²,

Kane³

2022

Cureus

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“…One other aspect highlighted by the current survey was that the perspective of religious students also changed and they also supported medical and recreational use when they were in close association with cannabis users. Edelstein [70] studied the behavior of students (social work and medicine) towards cannabis use for the treatment of epilepsy. The majority of the participants held a permissive attitude towards medical cannabis health benefits.…”

Section: Findley Et Al [65] Conducted a Cross-national Comparison To ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural, Social and Psychological Factors of the Conservative Consumer towards Legal Cannabis Use—A Review since 2013

et al. 2022

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Cannabis consumption has become the center of much debate globally. The positive public perception of the medicinal benefits of cannabis and the rise of recreational usage of cannabis necessitate dramatic changes in cannabis reform policy. As a consequence, there is an increase in cannabis legalization around the globe, although it is still facing many rejections. It is crucial to understand the factors affecting public acceptance of cannabis use to support the contextualization and success of cannabis legalization. This review aims to address consumer cultural, social and psychological factors regarding the legal use of cannabis. Based on this review, cultures influence the endorsement or rejection of cannabis use depending on political views, religious sentiments and affiliated subcultures (adult, youth and adolescent subcultures). Regarding the social factors, socioeconomic status, measured by income, education level and occupation, is a key determinant of cannabis use. The beliefs opposing cannabis legalization are due to the negative stigma surrounding cannabis use. Nevertheless, growing awareness about the pharmaceutical and therapeutic effects of cannabis has led to an increase in positive attitudes towards cannabis legalization. Thus, dissemination of cannabis use benefits reaffirmed by scientific evidence could be a strategic way to alleviate the public’s negative feedback on cannabis legalization.

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“…Published research exists depicting favorable attitudes toward MC among patients and as its popularity and acceptance among patients continue, more may be asking their physicians about symptomatic and curative treatment with cannabis-based products [ 11 - 19 ]. Despite the increasing acceptance of MC and the relaxation of restrictions on its use nationwide, the medical community at large has yet to reach a consensus on the appropriate medical uses of marijuana.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictors of Medical Students’ Perceptions About Medical Cannabis

Jacobs¹,

Kane²,

Caballero³

2022

Cureus

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Background: There has been a recent uptick in interest regarding the therapeutic properties of cannabis. Evidence exists to support the role of medical cannabis (MC) in chronic illness management for conditions such as posttraumatic stress, pain, and cancer. The majority of physicians in the United States report not knowing how to prescribe or answer questions about MC and receive minimal education about it during training. As MC becomes more socially acceptable with federal legalization in process, new physicians will encounter patients looking for information on the utility and safety of MC. The goal of this research was thus to assess the perceived knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions of medical students towards MC, and to obtain a better understanding of factors that may influence their attitudes. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was used to investigate the medical students’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding MC. Quantitative data were collected from 526 medical students (years one to four) via an anonymous, online, 32-item questionnaire to determine if perceived knowledge, concerns about the potential negative effects of cannabis, and certain beliefs would significantly contribute to their attitudes toward MC. Hypothesis testing was conducted using Spearman-rank order correlation and multivariate linear regression analyses. Results: A statistically significant regression equation was found: ( F (4, 428)=114.826, p <.001 with an R 2 =0.518 [adjusted R 2 =0.513]) indicating greater perception of knowledge about MC, lower concern for possible negative effects of MC use, greater belief in federal legalization of MC, and greater belief in the federal legalization of recreational cannabis significantly contributed to a higher score on positive attitudes and perceptions toward MC. Moreover, while many participants reported physicians should be able to prescribe MC, they reported that little if any MC education had been provided. Conclusions: This study identified the knowledge, concerns, and perceptions of medical students regarding MC as well as several factors contributing to their attitudes about it. Favorable attitudes toward MC among patients exist and as its popularity and acceptance among patients continue, more may be asking their physicians about symptomatic and curative treatment with cannabis-based products. Results from this research have the potential to assist medical educators in understanding students’ perceptions about MC to help guide innovative and contemporary curricular advances as a public health imperative.

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Attitudes and beliefs of medicine and social work students about medical cannabis use for epilepsy

Cited by 5 publications

References 48 publications

Medical Students’ Attitudes, Knowledge, and Beliefs about Medical Cannabis: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Medical Students’ Attitudes, Knowledge, and Beliefs about Medical Cannabis: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Cultural, Social and Psychological Factors of the Conservative Consumer towards Legal Cannabis Use—A Review since 2013

Predictors of Medical Students’ Perceptions About Medical Cannabis

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