15% of Florida Medical Cannabis Patients Reported Buying Products They Believed Were Contaminated

Respondents reported low knowledge of potential contaminants and lacked educational resources. 15% reported purchasing products they believed to be contaminated. 25% purchased products they were uncomfortable consuming due to quality issues. Trust was moderately higher for information from medical cannabis doctors and university researchers than state sources. Patients desired policy changes including home grow, increased testing, and pre-purchase product inspection.

Cross-sectional survey of Florida medical cannabis patients over 21, recruited from a 2,000-patient contact registry. 24-item survey assessed experiences and perspectives on contamination, guided by the Health Belief Model framework. Hosted via Qualtrics.

Medical cannabis is intended for vulnerable patients who may have compromised immune systems or other health conditions. Contamination in these products poses direct health risks, and patients' low knowledge about contamination makes them especially vulnerable.

Product quality and safety in medical cannabis programs is an underexamined issue. When patients cannot identify contaminants and programs do not adequately educate them, the therapeutic intent of medical cannabis may be undermined by safety risks.

Survey sample from a single state (Florida). Self-reported experiences and beliefs. Response rate and representativeness not fully described. Contamination was not laboratory-verified. Patient beliefs about contamination may not reflect actual contamination rates.