Most Canadian rehab doctors see value in medical cannabis but few feel comfortable prescribing it
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.
Quick Facts
What This Study 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.
Key Numbers
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 They Did This
24-item web survey distributed to members of the Canadian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, with 109 physiatrist respondents and inferential statistical analysis.
Why This Research 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 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.
What This Study Doesn't 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.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would formal cannabinoid education in residency increase prescribing rates?
- ?Are patients seeking cannabis from physiatrists being redirected to cannabis clinics instead?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 61% comfortable discussing cannabis but only 31% comfortable prescribing
- Evidence Grade:
- Specialty-specific survey provides useful insight into prescribing patterns but is limited by self-selection and moderate response numbers.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2025.
- Original Title:
- ATTITUDES AND PRACTICE PATTERNS OF CANADIAN PHYSIATRISTS REGARDING MEDICAL CANNABIS.
- Published In:
- Journal of rehabilitation medicine. Clinical communications, 8, 43254 (2025)
- Authors:
- Ethans, Karen, Chaudhary, Harpal, Casey, Alan, O'Connell, Colleen, Nankar, Mayur, Khandelwal, Avni
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06418
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked 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 More on RethinkTHC
- CBD-oil-quality-guide
- anxiety-medication-after-quitting-weed
- cannabis-chemotherapy-nausea
- cannabis-chronic-pain-research
- cannabis-epilepsy-CBD-Epidiolex
- cbd-anxiety-research-evidence
- cbd-for-weed-withdrawal
- cbd-vs-thc-difference
- medical-benefits-of-cannabis
- quitting-weed-before-surgery
- quitting-weed-medication-interactions
- quitting-weed-pregnancy
- quitting-weed-pregnant
- seniors-older-adults-cannabis-risks-medications
- weed-breastfeeding-THC-breast-milk
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06418APA
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
MLA
Ethans, Karen, et al. "ATTITUDES AND PRACTICE PATTERNS OF CANADIAN PHYSIATRISTS REGARDING MEDICAL CANNABIS.." Journal of rehabilitation medicine. Clinical communications, 2025. https://doi.org/10.2340/jrm-cc.v8.43254
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "ATTITUDES AND PRACTICE PATTERNS OF CANADIAN PHYSIATRISTS REG..." RTHC-06418. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/ethans-2025-attitudes-and-practice-patterns
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.