What do Colombian psychiatrists think about prescribing medical cannabis?
A survey of 145 Colombian psychiatrists found 82% support medical cannabis availability and 73% want prescribing authority, but 66% did not know how to help patients access it legally, and most disapproved of its use for psychiatric conditions.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
82% of psychiatrists agreed medical cannabis should be available, and 73.1% wanted prescribing authority. However, 66.2% did not know how to help patients access it, and only 25% understood the legal status. The highest psychiatric approval was for insomnia (35.2%) and anxiety (29%), while 66.9% disapproved of use for schizophrenia. Non-psychiatric conditions like cancer pain (87.6%) and chemotherapy nausea (78.6%) received much higher approval.
Key Numbers
145 psychiatrists; 14 territories; 82% support availability; 73.1% want to prescribe; 66.2% do not know how patients can access it; 25% understand legal status; insomnia approval 35.2%; anxiety approval 29%; schizophrenia disapproval 66.9%; cancer pain approval 87.6%
How They Did This
Cross-sectional survey of 145 psychiatrists across 14 Colombian territories between November 2019 and July 2020. 28-item questionnaire covering attitudes, clinical experience, perceived knowledge, indications, and safety concerns.
Why This Research Matters
Even in a country that has legalized medical cannabis, psychiatrists remain cautious about psychiatric applications while embracing non-psychiatric uses. The gap between willingness to prescribe and knowledge of how to do so highlights a systemic education failure.
The Bigger Picture
The pattern of psychiatrists supporting cannabis for pain and nausea but not for mental illness mirrors the evidence base. The strong disapproval for schizophrenia aligns with research showing cannabis can worsen psychotic symptoms, while the modest support for insomnia and anxiety reflects emerging but limited evidence.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Non-random sampling may not represent all Colombian psychiatrists. Self-report measures of knowledge and attitudes. Cross-sectional design provides a single snapshot.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would psychiatrist attitudes shift with more training on the endocannabinoid system?
- ?How do psychiatrist attitudes compare to actual patient demand for cannabis prescriptions?
- ?Do these attitudes differ across Latin American countries with varying legalization frameworks?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 82% support, 66% unsure of legal access
- Evidence Grade:
- Cross-sectional survey with reasonable sample size across 14 territories, but non-random sampling limits generalizability.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2021; attitudes may have evolved as Colombia's medical cannabis framework matures.
- Original Title:
- Medicinal cannabis: knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of Colombian psychiatrists.
- Published In:
- Journal of cannabis research, 3(1), 26 (2021)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03399
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do psychiatrists support medical cannabis?
In this Colombian sample, 82% supported its availability and 73% wanted prescribing authority. However, support was primarily for non-psychiatric conditions like cancer pain (87.6%), not for mental health use.
Why do psychiatrists oppose cannabis for schizophrenia?
66.9% disapproved of cannabis use for schizophrenia, likely reflecting evidence that THC can worsen psychotic symptoms. This contrasts with the more nuanced evidence for conditions like insomnia and anxiety.
Why don't they know how patients can access it?
66.2% said they did not know how to help patients access medical cannabis legally, and only 25% understood the legal status. This suggests a gap in medical education around cannabis regulation.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03399APA
Orjuela-Rojas, Juan Manuel; García Orjuela, Xiomara; Ocampo Serna, Sabina. (2021). Medicinal cannabis: knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of Colombian psychiatrists.. Journal of cannabis research, 3(1), 26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-021-00083-z
MLA
Orjuela-Rojas, Juan Manuel, et al. "Medicinal cannabis: knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of Colombian psychiatrists.." Journal of cannabis research, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-021-00083-z
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Medicinal cannabis: knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of Col..." RTHC-03399. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/orjuela-rojas-2021-medicinal-cannabis-knowledge-beliefs
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.