Canadian pediatric clinicians weigh the ethics of prescribing medical cannabis to children
Pediatric clinicians reported pursuing medical cannabis use under harm reduction principles, but cited problematic authorization procedures and a major need for neurodevelopmental research.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Four themes emerged: access challenges, relational autonomy (shared decision-making between clinicians, patients, and families), medically appropriate use, and research priorities. Clinicians weighed benefits of appropriate use positively over risks, even considering potential neurodevelopmental effects.
Key Numbers
18 clinicians interviewed across multiple pediatric specialties. 4 major themes and 12 subthemes identified.
How They Did This
Qualitative study with 18 semistructured interviews of clinicians from neurology, palliative care, oncology, family medicine, and pharmacology, recruited through Canadian Childhood Cannabinoid Clinical Trials listservs. Analyzed using deductive and inductive thematic methods.
Why This Research Matters
Medical cannabis use by pediatric patients is expanding across Canada, but evidence, federal regulations, and treatment guidelines lag behind clinical reality. Understanding clinician perspectives reveals where the system is failing patients.
The Bigger Picture
The gap between expanding pediatric cannabis use and the lack of supporting evidence, guidelines, or streamlined authorization procedures highlights a policy and research shortfall.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small sample of 18 clinicians. Purposive sampling through specialized listservs may overrepresent those already engaged with cannabis research. Patient and family perspectives not captured.
Questions This Raises
- ?How do authorization barriers affect patient outcomes in practice?
- ?What specific neurodevelopmental data would shift clinical decision-making?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 18 clinicians across 5 specialties; 4 themes centered on harm reduction
- Evidence Grade:
- Small qualitative study with purposive sampling from specialized clinical networks.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022, interviews conducted November-December 2020.
- Original Title:
- Clinician views on and ethics priorities for authorizing medical cannabis in the care of children and youth in Canada: a qualitative study.
- Published In:
- CMAJ open, 10(1), E196-E202 (2022)
- Authors:
- Gunning, Margot, Rotenberg, Ari D, Kelly, Lauren E(6), Crooks, Bruce, Oberoi, Sapna, Rapoport, Adam L, Rassekh, S Rod, Illes, Judy
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03893
Evidence Hierarchy
Uses interviews or focus groups to understand experiences in depth.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do pediatric doctors support medical cannabis for children?
The clinicians interviewed generally weighed benefits over risks for appropriate medical uses, but stressed the need for better evidence, guidelines, and authorization processes.
What is the biggest barrier to prescribing cannabis to children?
Clinicians highlighted problematic authorization procedures and a lack of research on neurodevelopmental risks as major obstacles.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03893APA
Gunning, Margot; Rotenberg, Ari D; Kelly, Lauren E; Crooks, Bruce; Oberoi, Sapna; Rapoport, Adam L; Rassekh, S Rod; Illes, Judy. (2022). Clinician views on and ethics priorities for authorizing medical cannabis in the care of children and youth in Canada: a qualitative study.. CMAJ open, 10(1), E196-E202. https://doi.org/10.9778/cmajo.20210239
MLA
Gunning, Margot, et al. "Clinician views on and ethics priorities for authorizing medical cannabis in the care of children and youth in Canada: a qualitative study.." CMAJ open, 2022. https://doi.org/10.9778/cmajo.20210239
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Clinician views on and ethics priorities for authorizing med..." RTHC-03893. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/gunning-2022-clinician-views-on-and
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.