Most Oncologists Support Medical Cannabis But Few Feel Prepared to Discuss It With Patients
A survey of 237 oncologists found 68% believed medical cannabis could benefit cancer patients, but only 23% felt adequately knowledgeable to discuss it and 15% had formal training.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
68% of oncologists believed medical cannabis could benefit patients. 78% had patients ask about it. Only 23% felt knowledgeable enough to discuss it. 15% had formal education on medical cannabis. 45% were comfortable recommending it. Oncologists in legal states were more likely to recommend cannabis.
Key Numbers
237 oncologists; 68% believe cannabis beneficial; 78% asked by patients; 23% feel knowledgeable; 15% had training; 45% comfortable recommending.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional online survey of 237 oncologists across the United States. Assessed beliefs, knowledge, training, comfort level, and practice patterns regarding medical cannabis.
Why This Research Matters
Cancer patients frequently ask oncologists about cannabis, but most oncologists lack training. This knowledge-practice gap means patients may receive inconsistent or uninformed guidance at a time when evidence-based recommendations are needed most.
The Bigger Picture
Medical education has not kept pace with cannabis policy changes. If 78% of oncologists are being asked about cannabis but only 15% have training, the system is failing both clinicians and patients.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Self-selected survey respondents may overrepresent those interested in cannabis. Self-reported knowledge and comfort may not reflect actual counseling quality. No patient outcome data.
Questions This Raises
- ?Should medical cannabis education be mandatory in oncology training?
- ?Do patients get better outcomes when oncologists actively guide cannabis use?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Reasonable sample size captures a clear knowledge gap, but self-selection bias and self-reported measures limit generalizability.
- Study Age:
- 2025 survey of US oncologists on medical cannabis knowledge and attitudes.
- Original Title:
- An international survey on the knowledge, attitudes and clinical patterns of use of medical cannabis for cancer care: The TASMAN study.
- Published In:
- European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990), 215, 115158 (2025)
- Authors:
- Trapani, Dario, Nidhamalddin, Sara J, Gandini, Sara, Filetti, Marco, Altuna, Sara C, Carnevale Schianca, Ambra, Petrillo, Angelica, Murthy, Shilpa M, Girardi, Fabio, Bezuidenhout, Jacques B, El Bairi, Khalid, Lombardi, Pasquale, Khan, Shah Z, Lengyel, Csongor G, Seeber, Andreas, Hussain, Sadaqat, Seid, Fahmi U, Elfaham, Essam, Odhiambo, Andrew O, Coskun, Yakup, Baker, Habeeb S, Chowdhury, Arman R, Genazzani, Armando, Daniele, Gennaro, Porzio, Giampiero, Curigliano, Giuseppe, Giusti, Raffaele
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07819
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do oncologists recommend cannabis for cancer patients?
45% were comfortable recommending it, and 68% believed it could benefit patients, but only 23% felt knowledgeable enough to discuss it and only 15% had any formal training.
Should I ask my oncologist about cannabis?
Most oncologists (78%) report being asked by patients. While many are supportive, few have formal training, so you may also want to consult a provider experienced in medical cannabis.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07819APA
Trapani, Dario; Nidhamalddin, Sara J; Gandini, Sara; Filetti, Marco; Altuna, Sara C; Carnevale Schianca, Ambra; Petrillo, Angelica; Murthy, Shilpa M; Girardi, Fabio; Bezuidenhout, Jacques B; El Bairi, Khalid; Lombardi, Pasquale; Khan, Shah Z; Lengyel, Csongor G; Seeber, Andreas; Hussain, Sadaqat; Seid, Fahmi U; Elfaham, Essam; Odhiambo, Andrew O; Coskun, Yakup; Baker, Habeeb S; Chowdhury, Arman R; Genazzani, Armando; Daniele, Gennaro; Porzio, Giampiero; Curigliano, Giuseppe; Giusti, Raffaele. (2025). An international survey on the knowledge, attitudes and clinical patterns of use of medical cannabis for cancer care: The TASMAN study.. European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990), 215, 115158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2024.115158
MLA
Trapani, Dario, et al. "An international survey on the knowledge, attitudes and clinical patterns of use of medical cannabis for cancer care: The TASMAN study.." European journal of cancer (Oxford, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2024.115158
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "An international survey on the knowledge, attitudes and clin..." RTHC-07819. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/trapani-2025-an-international-survey-on
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.