Should Physicians “Prescribe” Cannabis?

An LDI Policy$ense ethical analysis by Aaron Glickman and Dom Sisti, PhD

"Over the last decade, medical cannabis has moved from the fringe to the mainstream—at least in some states. Nearly 900,000 Americans were registered cannabis patients in 2017, which is more than a ten-fold increase since 2009. By the end of 2020, over two-thirds of states and the vast majority of Americans will live in a state with legal access to either medicinal or recreational marijuana. Despite the rapid changes in the legal status and evidence supporting the use of cannabis to treat a range of conditions, physicians and trainees remain ill-equipped to recognize and advise patients who may benefit medical cannabis. Meanwhile, pockets of opposition continue to perpetuate misinformation and historic canards about cannabis—that “pot” is a gateway drug, that it kills brain cells, or that it erodes intelligence, to name a few."