Nearly 30 years after the first U.S. state legalized medical cannabis, this drug has not been fully integrated into the medical education system. Although cannabis is increasingly recommended for chronic pain and anxiety, most medical professionals receive no formal training on its therapeutic use and potential risks.
Surveys show that medical practitioners in different fields have low confidence in discussing cannabis use, including its possible health benefits and drug interactions. This shows a gap in the medical curricula and brings to the spotlight the importance of cannabis medicine continuing medical education (CME) as a remedy for physicians and other healthcare providers to gain a good understanding of cannabis medicine. TheAnswerPage accredited cannabis courses available on CMEList can help healthcare providers close that gap. This online resource has been offering top-quality, accredited education to medical professionals for more than 20 years.
Gap Between Medical Cannabis Education and Practice
Seventeen percent of adults aged 21 and older use cannabis daily, according to the CivicScience 2025 data. Some have recommendations from state-sponsored programs, while others buy from unregulated sellers. But when they go for a checkup, they all expect professional guidance from a medical practitioner.
Yet, most medical practitioners feel they are ill-prepared to advise patients about cannabis use. Some even admit that they often work with just the information patients give them. There should be formal training on medical cannabis.
Ongoing Neglect of Medical Cannabis Education
Cannabis falls under the gray zone between medicines and illegal substances. Medical educators worry that talking about cannabis might be viewed as favoring its use. Accreditation agencies offer no clear standards. Some textbooks ignore medical cannabis altogether.
Meanwhile, as medical schools hesitate to teach about cannabis, the research around it is advancing. The discovery of the endocannabinoid system opened a new field of neurobiology, showing cannabis’ action in regulating pain, mood, and immunity.
Clinical evidence is also growing. There are more clinical trials and systematic reviews that examine the use of cannabis for conditions such as chronic pain, multiple sclerosis spasticity, chemotherapy-induced nausea, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Clinicians need to know about these advancements, but many medical schools provide limited coverage of these topics.
CME programs like TheAnswerPage courses serve as a trusted resource for physicians and other healthcare professionals to improve their knowledge in cannabis medicine.
Defining the Core Competencies of Cannabis Education
In a paper titled “Developing Medical Cannabis Competencies: A Consensus Statement,” a team led by Yuval Zolotov of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York proposed a framework for teaching medical cannabis to students.
This framework presents six core competencies:
● Understanding the endocannabinoid system
● Describing the main components of the cannabis plant and their biological effects
● Reviewing the legal and regulatory landscape of cannabis in the U.S.
● Describing the evidence base for health conditions that are commonly managed with cannabis
● Understanding the potential risks of medical cannabis use
● Understanding basic clinical management with medical cannabis
It uses the same competency-based methodology employed in teaching about other drugs, such as opioids and antidepressants. The goal is to offer a standardized process with which students are already familiar.
Few medical schools have yet integrated these principles, leaving CME as the main recourse for doctors to learn about cannabis medicine. TheAnswerPage courses address all of the core competencies mentioned by Zolotov et al.
Professional Responsibility in a Changing Environment
If a certain treatment is legal and widely used, but has potential risks, physicians and other healthcare providers have a duty to know enough about it to help guide its use.
Ignoring cannabis education sends the wrong message and undermines trust in healthcare providers. Patients notice when their questions are deflected. To seek answers, they often turn to less reliable sources, like online forums and social media platforms. Physicians and other healthcare professionals need adequate training to guide patients on safe and effective cannabis use.
Bridging Policy and Practice: A Call to Action
Healthcare providers can better assist their patients if they receive a structured cannabis education training. Although changing the curriculum may take years, continuing medical education provides a quick way for physicians to fill the knowledge gap. The CMEList offers an accessible starting point for physicians and educators through its TheAnswerPage CME courses.
On CMEList, you can find TheAnswerPage courses that offer a comprehensive review of the endocannabinoid system, and the clinical use of medical marijuana/cannabis. If you’re looking for an introduction to these topics or you want to expand your knowledge, browse our range of courses today.