Medical marijuana is currently legal in 29 US states, and others are trying to get it approved for legalization this year. Despite all this legislative progress regarding therapeutic and recreational Cannabis ( here we talk about Greece and here about Korea and the new American states), doctors are often unprepared to discuss the realities of medical Marijuana, or dismissive of its benefits. As a result, doctors and patients alike are wondering: Should medical universities start teaching cannabis? Considering the wide range of recently discovered medical uses of Marijuana, its increased popularity, and the advancement in research on it internationally, it is time for the medical community to educate our doctors about our favorite herb.
A Brief History of the Medical Community and Cannabis
There is a lot of smoke when it comes to doctors, cannabis and big pharmaceutical companies (Big Pharma).
As Alan Hirsch, of the Cannabis Diagnostic Lab Corporation , explains, “Big Pharma is lobbying against legalization on supposed health grounds, but in reality they are just trying to buy time to create their own cannabis medicines. synthetic.”
Big Pharma has a somewhat adversarial relationship with Marijuana.
Additionally, through their campaign to stop legal marijuana, big pharmaceutical companies are preventing doctors from having access to the herb. This equates to difficulty prescribing it and learning what its benefits are.
Almost no doctors receive formal education regarding Marijuana
According to a study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence , 90% of doctors learn nothing about medical marijuana in medical school.
Which makes sense, considering that only 9% of medical colleges have a curriculum that includes medical marijuana. These figures come from the Association of Medical Colleges.
They compiled findings from 100 medical universities that surveyed their students about marijuana education. The vast majority of medical students say they are unprepared to prescribe it.
The survey also found that 35% would not feel comfortable even discussing marijuana with their patients.
No formal Marijuana education means fewer medical Marijuana prescriptions
The consequences of ignorance about Marijuana are vast. To prescribe a drug, doctors must have formally studied the substance before.
This means that, legally, most doctors cannot prescribe medical marijuana to their patients. Plus, Cannabis, in all its forms, from oils to moonrocks, is federally illegal, meaning doctors could lose their licenses for prescribing Marijuana in the first place, or even go to court for administered what is still categorized as a Schedule 1 substance.
Should medical universities start teaching cannabis courses? School education would allow for more prescriptions for medical marijuana, so the answer is unequivocally: yes.
Current status of medical marijuana education
Most medical students do not have access to these programs. However, a small number of universities are starting to offer medical marijuana courses.
The topic of these courses ranges from the legalization of Cannabis to the medical uses of Marijuana. Schools that teach these curricula include UC Davis, University of Vermont, Ohio State University, and University of Washington.
You can check out some course descriptions here: Cannabis Science and Medicine , Marijuana Law , Politics & Reform , Cannabis Physiology and Medicinal Cannabis and Chronic Pain .
And now, with national legalization on the horizon for America, cannabis education in Canada is taking it even further with a course on cannabis cultivation, offered at Dieppe Community College in New Brunswick.
Even the Canadian government supports this course. With demand for marijuana expected to grow after legalization this summer, the Canadian government is hoping to produce skilled workers.
The government even granted free enrollment to the first 25 students of this course.
Conclusion: Should Medical Schools Start Teaching Cannabis?
Information regarding medical marijuana is far from accessible. Although some progressive universities offer marijuana education courses, higher education has yet to catch up with legalization efforts.
Before taking courses, American medical professionals cannot, legally or in good conscience, prescribe medical Marijuana.
Until education is widespread, only some of the 25 million Americans who suffer from daily pain and those seeking alternative treatments for diseases such as cancer will have access to the natural remedy with scientifically proven benefits.