What Florida's Medical Marijuana Doctors Actually Do in Practice | Research

The takeaway

A statewide survey of 116 Florida physicians who certify medical marijuana patients found wide variation in clinical practices, with many relying on experimental approaches rather than evidence-based guidelines.

Medical marijuana patients, healthcare policy researchers, medical education administrators

Only 50% of medical marijuana physicians "often" or "always" provided specific THC:CBD ratio recommendations

What the researchers found

Among 116 medical marijuana physicians surveyed, 92% reported performing physical exams, but only half provided specific THC:CBD ratio recommendations and 62% gave dose recommendations, suggesting substantial practice variability.

Why it matters

As medical marijuana programs expand, this survey reveals that the physicians at the frontline of patient care are largely improvising, with limited standardized training or evidence-based protocols to guide their recommendations.

The numbers in context

116 respondents; mean age 57; 70% male; 95% used research articles as information source; 92% performed physical exams; 50% provided THC:CBD ratio recommendations; 62% gave dose recommendations; 84% would participate in online training; top training priorities were drug interactions (72%), condition management (72%), opioid reduction (67%).

How the study worked

Cross-sectional anonymous survey of registered medical marijuana physicians in Florida (June-October 2020), with numerical responses quantified using counts and percentages.

What this study cannot tell us

Self-selected convenience sample with potential response bias; self-reported practices may not reflect actual clinical behavior; limited to Florida physicians.

How to read the evidence

Moderate-sized cross-sectional survey providing descriptive data on physician practices with self-reported measures.

When this study was published

Data collected in 2020 from Florida's medical marijuana program.

The bigger picture

The gap between growing patient demand for medical marijuana and the evidence base physicians need to guide recommendations highlights a systemic training deficit that could affect patient safety and outcomes.

Questions still open

How do patient outcomes differ between physicians who provide specific dosing recommendations versus those who take a more open-ended approach? Would standardized training modules change prescribing patterns?

Common questions

What information sources do medical marijuana physicians rely on?

Research articles were the most common source (95%), followed by online resources (93%) and discussions with other providers and dispensary staff (90%).

What training do medical marijuana doctors want most?

Drug interactions (72%), management of specific conditions (72%), and strategies to reduce opioid use (67%) were the top three requested training topics.

Read the original research

Practice Patterns and Training Needs Among Physicians Certifying Patients for Medical Marijuana in Florida.

Journal of primary care & community health, 12, 21501327211042790

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Sajdeya, Ruba; Shavers, Anna; Jean-Jacques, Jennifer; Costales, Brianna; Jugl, Sebastian; Crump, Carly; Wang, Yan; Manfio, Luran; Pipitone, R Nathan; Rosenthal, Martha S; Winterstein, Almut G; Cook, Robert L. (2021). Practice Patterns and Training Needs Among Physicians Certifying Patients for Medical Marijuana in Florida.. Journal of primary care & community health, 12, 21501327211042790. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501327211042790