Fibromyalgia Patients Said Nurses Could Fill Gaps in Medical Cannabis Knowledge | Research

The takeaway

Fibromyalgia patients reported feeling dismissed by the healthcare system and said that nursing consultations improved their understanding of medical cannabis as a treatment option that had often never been proposed to them.

Fibromyalgia patients, nurses in pain management, medical cannabis advocates, healthcare educators

67% of patients said medical cannabis was never proposed to them

What the researchers found

Among 30 fibromyalgia patients, 20 reported that medical cannabis had never been proposed despite years of ineffective therapies. Patients described historical experiences of being labeled "insane" or "imaginary ill." A 30-minute nursing educational intervention via videoconference improved patients' understanding of the disease and treatment options including medical cannabis.

Why it matters

Fibromyalgia patients often feel their condition is not taken seriously. When nurses with specialized knowledge provide education about all treatment options including medical cannabis, it addresses both the information gap and the feeling of being dismissed.

The numbers in context

30 patients recruited from 1,100 solicited. 20 patients (67%) said medical cannabis was never proposed to them. 30-minute nursing videoconference intervention. Patients completed FIQR, A-14, and CGI-I scales.

How the study worked

Qualitative study recruiting 30 fibromyalgia patients from the Italian Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association. Participants completed the FIQR and A-14 Scale before and after a 30-minute nursing videoconference educational intervention, plus the CGI-I Scale post-intervention.

What this study cannot tell us

Small sample from a single patient association in Italy. No control group. Self-selected participants who were already interested in medical cannabis. Short follow-up period (2 weeks).

How to read the evidence

Preliminary: small qualitative study without a control group, from a self-selected population

When this study was published

Published in 2025

The bigger picture

As medical cannabis becomes more available, many patients who could benefit are not being informed about it as an option. Nurse-led education could help bridge this gap while also providing the patient-centered care that fibromyalgia patients often lack.

Questions still open

Would longer follow-up show sustained improvements? Does nurse education actually change cannabis prescribing patterns? Would similar results be found in countries with different medical cannabis access?

Common questions

Why were so many patients not told about medical cannabis?

The study found that 20 of 30 fibromyalgia patients had never been offered medical cannabis despite years of ineffective treatments. The authors suggest this reflects inadequate healthcare professional education about cannabis-based treatment options.

Did the nursing intervention help?

Patients reported that the 30-minute videoconference with a knowledgeable nurse improved their understanding of fibromyalgia and treatment options. The study suggests nurses with specialized training are well-positioned to fill this education gap.

Read the original research

Symptom management, adherence to therapy, and filling the gaps of medical cannabis therapy: a qualitative study on the importance of nursing consultations for fibromyalgia patients.

Journal of cannabis research, 7(1), 84

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Bassi, Giulia Martina; Giorgi, Valeria; Lazzarin, Michela; Meanti, Ramona; Omeljaniuk, Robert J; Sarzi-Puttini, Piercarlo; Torsello, Antonio. (2025). Symptom management, adherence to therapy, and filling the gaps of medical cannabis therapy: a qualitative study on the importance of nursing consultations for fibromyalgia patients.. Journal of cannabis research, 7(1), 84. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-025-00346-z