Most Opioid Treatment Clinicians Lack Experience with Medicinal Cannabis But Want to Learn | Research

The takeaway

Among 102 clinicians in opioid treatment programs, 88.5% had no experience providing medicinal cannabis, over half lacked confidence in helping patients access it, yet two-thirds were open to considering it for their patients.

Addiction treatment clinicians, medical cannabis educators, healthcare policy makers

88.5% of OTP clinicians had no medicinal cannabis experience

What the researchers found

88.5% of clinicians lacked experience providing medicinal cannabis. Two-thirds (66.7%) would consider medicinal cannabis for addressing cannabis use in OTP clients, and over 70% would consider it for other health conditions. Over half (54.2%) lacked confidence in assisting with access and were unfamiliar with regulations (56.2%). Top safety concerns were driving problems (74%), cognitive impairment (54.2%), and cannabis dependence (54.2%).

Why it matters

Opioid treatment program clients have high rates of cannabis use, and medicinal cannabis is increasingly available in Australia. This study reveals a major gap between clinician willingness to consider medicinal cannabis and their actual knowledge and confidence to do so.

The numbers in context

N=102 clinicians, 63% response rate. 56.9% female, 52.9% full-time. 88.5% no medicinal cannabis experience. 66.7% would consider it for cannabis use. 71.5% would consider it for other conditions. 54.2% lacked confidence in access. 56.2% unfamiliar with regulations. Top concerns: driving 74%, cognitive impairment 54.2%, dependence 54.2%. THC evidence endorsed for: palliative care 72.4%, chronic pain 67.4%, MS 43.8%. CBD evidence endorsed for: chronic pain 64.9%, palliative care 62.5%, sleep 44.8%.

How the study worked

Cross-sectional survey of 102 clinicians (nurses, doctors, pharmacists, allied health, consumer workers) from six public opioid treatment program services in New South Wales, Australia.

What this study cannot tell us

Single region (New South Wales). 63% response rate may introduce selection bias. Clinician perceptions may not reflect evidence-based practice. Survey cannot assess actual clinical competence. Australian regulatory context may differ from other countries.

How to read the evidence

Preliminary evidence from a single-region clinician survey with moderate response rate.

When this study was published

2025 study examining Australian opioid treatment program clinician perspectives.

The bigger picture

As medicinal cannabis becomes more accepted, frontline addiction treatment clinicians need training and regulatory education. The finding that most want to learn but feel unprepared highlights an opportunity for professional development programs specifically targeted at addiction medicine settings.

Questions still open

Would targeted training improve clinician confidence in prescribing medicinal cannabis for OTP clients? Is there evidence that medicinal cannabis can help manage cannabis dependence? How do clinician attitudes translate into actual prescribing behavior?

Common questions

Do addiction clinicians support medicinal cannabis for their patients?

In this Australian survey, about two-thirds of opioid treatment program clinicians were open to considering medicinal cannabis for their patients, but nearly 90% had no actual experience providing it and most lacked confidence in navigating the regulatory framework.

What conditions do clinicians think medicinal cannabis can treat?

The most endorsed conditions for THC-based products were palliative care (72.4%), chronic pain (67.4%), and multiple sclerosis (43.8%). For CBD-based products, chronic pain (64.9%), palliative care (62.5%), and sleep problems (44.8%) were most endorsed.

Read the original research

Clinicians' attitudes and knowledge of medicinal cannabis in opioid dependence treatment clinics in New South Wales, Australia.

Journal of cannabis research, 7(1), 59

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Parvaresh, Laila; Mills, Llewellyn; Gholami, Jaleh; Jansen, Louisa; Jamshidi, Nazila; Baker, Kate; Tremonti, Christopher; Tracy, Marguerite; Dunlop, Adrian; Lintzeris, Nicholas. (2025). Clinicians' attitudes and knowledge of medicinal cannabis in opioid dependence treatment clinics in New South Wales, Australia.. Journal of cannabis research, 7(1), 59. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-025-00315-6