The journal JCO Oncology Practice recently published online a study that encompassed extensive interviews with 26 dispensary employees across 13 states. If substantiated by broader quantitative research, the medical community must commit to offering reliable medical cannabis guidance, state the authors. The first author, Ilana Braun, MD, of Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, asserts, “Our study urges the medical community to rethink the clinicians’ crucial role in patient guidance, rather than entirely deferring to dispensaries. It’s essential to explore pragmatic strategies to resolve this issue.” In a prior study by Braun, 80% of oncologists surveyed confessed they had discussed medical cannabis with patients, yet only 30% deemed themselves adequately equipped to advise on its use. In the absence of clinical guidance, dispensary staff frequently become the default counselors on medical cannabis, concluded from the research. Braun’s 2020 paper demonstrated that nearly all respondents, primarily cancer patients, turned to predominantly non-medical sources like dispensary staff for advice on everything from dosages to strain properties. Braun explains, “Our goal was to comprehend the personnel, training, and counsel offered by dispensaries to patients.” In the recent study, telephone interviews were conducted with 26 dispensary employees in managerial and customer service roles across 13 states. The interviewees exhibited passion for their work but revealed inconsistent training in cannabis therapeutics. “Despite the strong commitment and self-initiated education of the dispensary staff we interviewed, the recruitment process often favored sales experience over cannabis therapeutics expertise. Moreover, workplace training in this field was often irregular and insufficient,” observes Braun. “Patients prefer to receive this information from their oncology team,” confirms study co-author Manan Nayak, Ph.D., of Dana-Farber. “Currently, the system encourages insular operation, leaving patients to decipher information sources, experiment with products, and possibly report back to their oncologist. The onus of liaising with the dispensary often falls on the patient. We need to build a connection between the dispensary and the clinical team.” The senior author is William Pirl, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women’s. Co-authors include Jane Roberts, Ph.D., of Dana-Farber; Peter Chai, MD, of Dana-Farber, Brigham and Women’s, and the Fenway Institute; James Tulsky, MD, of Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women’s; and Donald Abrams, MD, of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.

Medical cannabis can help with some of the symptoms and side effects of cancer and cancer treatments, such as pain, nausea, appetite loss, and anxiety1.Medical cannabis is not a cure for cancer, and there is no reliable evidence that it can treat cancer in humans2.Medical cannabis is not widely available in the UK, and only some specialist doctors can prescribe it for certain medical conditions3.Medical cannabis products vary in their quality, purity, and potency, and may have different effects on different people4.Medical cannabis users should always consult their health care team before trying it, and follow their advice on dosage, frequency, and safety1earn more:1. bccancer.bc.ca2. cancerresearchuk.org3. news.cancerresearchuk.org4. jeffersonhealth.org5. macmillan.org.uk— …

You might be interested in exploring more about cannabis therapeutics, as discussed in the post. If you want to learn about the medical uses of cannabis, including its potential benefits and limitations, you can check out the Medical Cannabis article on Wikipedia. Additionally, if you’re curious about the current regulations and availability of medical cannabis in different countries, you can refer to the Legality of Cannabis article.