Cannabis Education Missing in Canadian Health Care

More than five years after Canada legalized cannabis, the health-care system remains ill-equipped to guide patients in its use.

As pharmacists specializing in cannabis consultations, we encounter patients navigating a fragmented and inconsistent health landscape. The root cause? A critical lack of cannabis education – not just among the public but within the health-care system itself.

Despite growing interest in cannabis for medical conditions, most Canadians – and their health-care providers – lack the knowledge needed to make informed decisions. This is not surprising. The average Canadian medical or pharmacy school allocates little to no time to cannabis education, leaving future practitioners unprepared. A 2020 study revealed that Quebec’s medical students reported low exposure to cannabis-related topics, with many feeling unprepared to address these issues in clinical practice. The absence of formal education perpetuates a cycle in which health-care professionals are undertrained, and patients are underserved.

When patients cannot rely on their physicians or pharmacists for guidance, they often turn to budtenders – retail workers with anecdotal knowledge but no medical training. This reliance on non-expert advice leads to decisions that may not align with evidence-based care. For example, patients may be unaware of potential drug interactions or how cannabinoids like THC and CBD differ in their effects.

Read the full article at Healthy Debate