Cannabis has been found to be a safe and effective medicine, as a growing body of peer-reviewed scientific studies has found.
Countless patients around the globe have successfully treated their condition(s) using the cannabis plant.
The cannabis plant is safer than virtually all pharmaceutical drugs and does not come with the risk of developing a debilitating addiction like many common pharmaceutical drugs.
Despite cannabis’ medical properties and widespread use, many doctors still don’t know enough about medical cannabis, which is reflected in the results of a new study.
Canadian Oncologist Survey
According to an analysis of data from a recent survey, 84% of Canadian oncologists feel that they “possess only limited knowledge about the use of medical cannabis” when it comes to cancer chemotherapy treatment.
The results of the study were recently published in the journal Current Oncology.
Researchers at the University of Calgary conducted a survey involving 103 Canadian oncologists and asked the health care providers how they felt about their level of medical cannabis knowledge.
A vast majority of respondents stated that they didn’t even know enough to confidently recommend medical cannabis to cancer patients that they treat.
“Although cannabis-based research in oncology is growing, information about the role of hcps [health care providers] and their perspectives about the use and prescription of cannabis in cancer care has been lacking. A sizeable gap in professional knowledge and formal training about cannabis among oncology hcps is evident, although hcps are willing to become more educated about the topic,” the study’s authors concluded.
Education Needs To Catch Up To Policy
In 2020 there’s no valid reason for the medical community to not know enough about medical cannabis, especially in Canada.
Doctors in Canada have had the legal ability to prescribe medical cannabis for various purposes, including treating cancer, since 2001.
Adult-use cannabis has been legal in Canada since 2018. So why are doctors still so ill-equipped when it comes to recommending medical cannabis?
The blame does not fall solely on the doctors. Yes, doctors could seek out information on their own, however, medical cannabis is still not a part of most medical school curriculums around the globe.
Adult-use cannabis may still be rare on the world stage, however, medical cannabis has become much more common in the last 10 years.
It’s beyond time that the medical community caught up with cannabis research and public policy.
