Most Canadian rehab doctors see value in medical cannabis but few feel comfortable prescribing it | Research

The takeaway

While 61% of Canadian physiatrists felt comfortable discussing medical cannabis, only 31% felt comfortable authorizing it, with most citing insufficient medical education and unclear guidelines.

Medical educators, physiatrists and rehabilitation medicine professionals, and medical cannabis policy developers.

61% comfortable discussing cannabis but only 31% comfortable prescribing

What the researchers found

Most respondents acknowledged medical cannabis's therapeutic value, and it was most frequently prescribed for neuropathic pain, musculoskeletal pain, and spasticity. Those with 21+ years of experience authorized cannabis more frequently. Medical training was widely deemed insufficient.

Why it matters

Physiatrists manage chronic pain and spasticity, two of medical cannabis's strongest evidence areas. Their discomfort with prescribing, rooted in inadequate training, creates a gap between patient need and physician readiness.

The numbers in context

109 respondents. 61% comfortable discussing cannabis. 31% comfortable authorizing. Top conditions: neuropathic pain, musculoskeletal pain, spasticity. 21+ years experience associated with more prescribing. Most agreed medical school education was insufficient.

How the study worked

24-item web survey distributed to members of the Canadian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, with 109 physiatrist respondents and inferential statistical analysis.

What this study cannot tell us

Survey represents a self-selected subset of Canadian physiatrists. 109 responses may not represent the full specialty. Social desirability bias may affect responses about cannabis comfort.

How to read the evidence

Specialty-specific survey provides useful insight into prescribing patterns but is limited by self-selection and moderate response numbers.

When this study was published

Published in 2025.

The bigger picture

This prescribing comfort gap exists across many medical specialties and countries. Until medical education formally incorporates cannabinoid pharmacology, patients will continue to navigate cannabis treatment with limited clinical guidance.

Questions still open

Would formal cannabinoid education in residency increase prescribing rates? Are patients seeking cannabis from physiatrists being redirected to cannabis clinics instead?

Common questions

Are rehab doctors comfortable prescribing medical cannabis?

In this Canadian survey, most physiatrists acknowledged cannabis's medical value and felt comfortable discussing it (61%), but only 31% felt comfortable actually prescribing. Inadequate training was cited as the main barrier.

What conditions do physiatrists prescribe cannabis for?

Neuropathic pain, musculoskeletal pain, and spasticity were the most common conditions, aligning with the strongest evidence base for medical cannabis in rehabilitation medicine.

Read the original research

ATTITUDES AND PRACTICE PATTERNS OF CANADIAN PHYSIATRISTS REGARDING MEDICAL CANNABIS.

Journal of rehabilitation medicine. Clinical communications, 8, 43254

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Ethans, Karen; Chaudhary, Harpal; Casey, Alan; O'Connell, Colleen; Nankar, Mayur; Khandelwal, Avni. (2025). ATTITUDES AND PRACTICE PATTERNS OF CANADIAN PHYSIATRISTS REGARDING MEDICAL CANNABIS.. Journal of rehabilitation medicine. Clinical communications, 8, 43254. https://doi.org/10.2340/jrm-cc.v8.43254