Most Peruvian Medical Cannabis Patients Knew About Consumption Methods But Had Knowledge Gaps | Research

The takeaway

Among 86 Peruvian patients using medical cannabis for at least a year, 60% knew about different consumption forms and 77% recognized the importance of product quality, but significant knowledge gaps remained about risks and regulations.

Medical cannabis program administrators, patient educators, and healthcare providers prescribing cannabis.

60% knew consumption forms but significant gaps remained in risk and safety knowledge

What the researchers found

Among 86 patients at a Lima cannabis clinic (mean age 41, 53.4% women), 60.2% knew about cannabis consumption forms and 77.3% recognized product quality importance. Primary conditions treated: chronic pain and nausea (each 23.9%), cancer and epilepsy (each 21.6%). Knowledge correlated significantly with cannabis use duration, but most patients had incomplete understanding of risks, regulations, and safety.

Why it matters

As medical cannabis programs expand globally, understanding what patients know and do not know about their treatment is critical for safety. The knowledge gaps found suggest that even experienced patients need ongoing education.

The numbers in context

86 patients; mean age 41; 53.4% women; mean cannabis use 3 years; 60.2% knew consumption forms; 77.3% recognized quality importance; primary conditions: chronic pain, nausea (23.9% each), cancer, epilepsy (21.6% each)

How the study worked

Cross-sectional survey using the 22-item KUC-22 questionnaire at the CANNAVITAL clinic in Lima, Peru, assessing knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about cannabis among 86 patients with at least one year of medical cannabis use.

What this study cannot tell us

Single clinic in Lima. Small sample. Selection bias (clinic patients may be more knowledgeable than general users). Self-reported knowledge may not reflect actual understanding.

How to read the evidence

Small cross-sectional survey at a single clinic. Descriptive data useful for program design but limited generalizability.

When this study was published

Published in 2024.

The bigger picture

Peru represents a growing number of countries in Latin America with medical cannabis programs. Patient education challenges seen here likely exist in many newer medical cannabis markets worldwide.

Questions still open

What specific knowledge gaps put medical cannabis patients at greatest risk?
Would standardized patient education improve outcomes in medical cannabis programs?

Common questions

Do medical cannabis patients understand their treatment?

Partially. Most knew about different forms of consumption and valued quality, but had gaps in understanding risks, regulations, and safety.

What conditions were being treated?

Chronic pain and nausea were most common (each 23.9%), followed by cancer and epilepsy (each 21.6%).

Read the original research

Patients' knowledge about the uses, risks, and beliefs surrounding the regulation and safety of Cannabis sativa L. in Peru.

Heliyon, 10(7), e27068

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Ramírez-Méndez, José F; Wong-Salgado, Pedro; Gámez, Peter; Solis, Pedro; Moya-Salazar, Jeel. (2024). Patients' knowledge about the uses, risks, and beliefs surrounding the regulation and safety of Cannabis sativa L. in Peru.. Heliyon, 10(7), e27068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27068