Most Dispensary Staff Give Medical Advice Despite Limited Training, With Some Recommendations Inconsistent with Evidence
A survey of 55 dispensary staff found that 94% provided specific cannabis strain and product recommendations to patients, but only 20% had medical or scientific training.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
As cannabis dispensaries have proliferated, patients increasingly rely on dispensary staff for guidance on which products to use for specific conditions. This study surveyed 55 dispensary employees about their training, knowledge, and recommendation practices.
Almost all staff (94%) reported providing specific cannabis advice to patients. However, only 55% had any formal training for their position, and just 20% had medical or scientific training.
Staff recommendations followed some patterns: Indica strains were recommended for anxiety, pain, insomnia, nightmares, and Tourette syndrome. A 1:1 THC:CBD ratio was most commonly recommended for anxiety, Crohn's disease, hepatitis C, and PTSD. High CBD was recommended for arthritis, Alzheimer's, epilepsy, and muscle spasms.
While many recommendations aligned with available evidence, some were inconsistent with it or could potentially worsen certain conditions.
Key Numbers
55 dispensary staff surveyed. 94% give specific cannabis advice. 55% had some formal training. 20% had medical/scientific training. Indica most commonly recommended for anxiety, pain, insomnia. 1:1 THC:CBD most recommended for PTSD and Crohn's.
How They Did This
Online survey of 55 medical and non-medical dispensary staff recruited via email and social media. Assessed demographics, dispensary features, formal training, and specific cannabis recommendation practices for various patient conditions.
Why This Research Matters
Dispensary staff are functioning as de facto healthcare providers for many cannabis patients, yet most lack medical training. The gap between the advice-giving role and the training level raises important questions about patient safety and the quality of cannabis-based care.
The Bigger Picture
This study highlights a structural gap in medical cannabis: the people patients interact with most (dispensary staff) have the least medical training, while the people with the most training (physicians) often have the least cannabis-specific knowledge. Standardized evidence-based training programs for dispensary staff could help bridge this gap.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Very small sample (55 staff) recruited through convenience methods, limiting generalizability. Self-reported practices may not reflect actual behavior. The survey could not assess the accuracy of individual recommendations or patient outcomes.
Questions This Raises
- ?Should dispensary staff be required to complete standardized training?
- ?How do patient outcomes differ when recommendations come from trained versus untrained staff?
- ?Would pharmacist involvement improve the quality of dispensary recommendations?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 94% of dispensary staff give specific medical advice, but only 20% have medical training
- Evidence Grade:
- Small convenience sample with self-reported data. Provides initial insights but limited generalizability.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2016. Dispensary training requirements and product knowledge have evolved as the industry has matured.
- Original Title:
- Training and Practices of Cannabis Dispensary Staff.
- Published In:
- Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 1(1), 244-251 (2016)
- Authors:
- Haug, Nancy A(2), Kieschnick, Dustin, Sottile, James E(2), Babson, Kimberly A, Vandrey, Ryan, Bonn-Miller, Marcel O
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01173
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Are dispensary staff qualified to recommend cannabis for medical conditions?
In this survey, only 20% of dispensary staff had medical or scientific training, though 94% provided specific product recommendations to patients. Some recommendations were inconsistent with available evidence.
What strains do dispensaries recommend for anxiety?
Staff most commonly recommended Indica strains and 1:1 THC:CBD ratios for anxiety, which aligns with some but not all available evidence.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01173APA
Haug, Nancy A; Kieschnick, Dustin; Sottile, James E; Babson, Kimberly A; Vandrey, Ryan; Bonn-Miller, Marcel O. (2016). Training and Practices of Cannabis Dispensary Staff.. Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 1(1), 244-251. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2016.0024
MLA
Haug, Nancy A, et al. "Training and Practices of Cannabis Dispensary Staff.." Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2016.0024
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Training and Practices of Cannabis Dispensary Staff." RTHC-01173. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/haug-2016-training-and-practices-of
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.