A single education session significantly improved hospital staff knowledge about medical marijuana
A brief educational session on medical marijuana pharmacology, interactions, and regulations produced statistically significant knowledge gains across physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and nurse technicians, while revealing that 83% of marijuana-using patients had potential drug interactions.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
All four provider groups showed significant post-education knowledge improvements: physicians (P<.01), nurses (P<.001), pharmacists (P<.01), and nurse technicians (P<.05). Chart review found 72 of 87 patients (83%) who self-reported marijuana use had at least one potential drug-drug interaction.
Key Numbers
43 providers participated. Significant knowledge gains: physicians (P<.01), nurses (P<.001), pharmacists (P<.01), nurse technicians (P<.05). Chart review: 72/87 patients (83%) with marijuana use had potential drug interactions.
How They Did This
Pre- and post-education survey of 43 healthcare providers at a community hospital, with multiple-choice knowledge questions and Likert-scale attitude assessment. Secondary outcome: retrospective chart review of drug interactions in marijuana-using patients.
Why This Research Matters
Healthcare providers are the frontline for catching dangerous drug interactions, but most have never received formal education on cannabis pharmacology. A single session produced measurable knowledge gains, suggesting this is a fixable gap.
The Bigger Picture
As cannabis use rises and patients increasingly combine it with prescription medications, the knowledge gap among providers creates real patient safety risks. The good news: even brief, targeted education makes a measurable difference.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small sample (n=43) from a single community hospital. No control group. Post-test immediately after education does not measure long-term knowledge retention. Chart review identified potential, not actual, drug interactions.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do knowledge gains from a single session persist at 6 or 12 months?
- ?Would routine drug interaction screening for cannabis-using patients reduce adverse events?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- of patients who reported marijuana use had at least one potential drug-drug interaction identified on chart review
- Evidence Grade:
- Pre-post design without control group limits attribution of change to the intervention. Significant results across multiple provider types strengthen confidence.
- Study Age:
- 2024 publication.
- Original Title:
- Assessment of education in a community hospital on healthcare providers' knowledge of and attitudes toward medical marijuana.
- Published In:
- Currents in pharmacy teaching & learning, 16(6), 396-403 (2024)
- Authors:
- Meyers, Sierra, Gant, Kisha, Burmeister, Melissa
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05549
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't healthcare providers already know about cannabis interactions?
Most medical, nursing, and pharmacy curricula include little to no formal education on cannabis pharmacology. As a Schedule I substance federally, cannabis has historically been excluded from standard drug interaction databases and clinical training.
What kinds of drug interactions does cannabis cause?
Cannabis, particularly CBD, inhibits cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP3A4, CYP2D6) that metabolize many common medications. This can increase blood levels of drugs like blood thinners, antidepressants, and blood pressure medications, potentially causing side effects.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05549APA
Meyers, Sierra; Gant, Kisha; Burmeister, Melissa. (2024). Assessment of education in a community hospital on healthcare providers' knowledge of and attitudes toward medical marijuana.. Currents in pharmacy teaching & learning, 16(6), 396-403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2024.03.007
MLA
Meyers, Sierra, et al. "Assessment of education in a community hospital on healthcare providers' knowledge of and attitudes toward medical marijuana.." Currents in pharmacy teaching & learning, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2024.03.007
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Assessment of education in a community hospital on healthcar..." RTHC-05549. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/meyers-2024-assessment-of-education-in
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.