What Florida's Medical Marijuana Doctors Actually Do in Practice
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.
Quick Facts
What This Study 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.
Key Numbers
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 They Did This
Cross-sectional anonymous survey of registered medical marijuana physicians in Florida (June-October 2020), with numerical responses quantified using counts and percentages.
Why This Research 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 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.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Self-selected convenience sample with potential response bias; self-reported practices may not reflect actual clinical behavior; limited to Florida physicians.
Questions This Raises
- ?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?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Only 50% of medical marijuana physicians "often" or "always" provided specific THC:CBD ratio recommendations
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate-sized cross-sectional survey providing descriptive data on physician practices with self-reported measures.
- Study Age:
- Data collected in 2020 from Florida's medical marijuana program.
- Original Title:
- Practice Patterns and Training Needs Among Physicians Certifying Patients for Medical Marijuana in Florida.
- Published In:
- Journal of primary care & community health, 12, 21501327211042790 (2021)
- Authors:
- Sajdeya, Ruba(3), 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
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03485
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked 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.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03485APA
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
MLA
Sajdeya, Ruba, et al. "Practice Patterns and Training Needs Among Physicians Certifying Patients for Medical Marijuana in Florida.." Journal of primary care & community health, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501327211042790
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Practice Patterns and Training Needs Among Physicians Certif..." RTHC-03485. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/sajdeya-2021-practice-patterns-and-training
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.