Abstract
Currently medical cannabis is legalized in two-thirds of US states. Policy-makers have outpaced clinical research, creating a critical mismatch between the state legalization of medical cannabis and the lack of knowledge, education, and preparedness among pain physicians.
We conducted a survey among pain physicians to measure participants’ attitudes, beliefs, preparedness, and knowledge regarding medical cannabis. The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) distributed the survey to their active members (acute and chronic pain physicians) by emails with a web link to the survey.
The score for each of the five principal questionnaire domains (medical cannabis legitimacy, pain symptoms, quality of life, worries and concerns, preparedness) were collected and analyzed. The associations among the participants’ scores on the principal domains of the questionnaire were investigated.
The survey revealed a mismatch between the pain physicians’ favorable attitude regarding the legitimacy of using medical cannabis and their lack of preparedness and education.
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Medical Cannabis Questionnaire
Medical Cannabis Questionnaire
A. Place a mark on the line below each item indicating your level of agreement with the following statements: |
Physicians should be able to offer cannabis for certain medical conditions Don’t agree at all |
Medical cannabis is a legitimate medical therapy Don’t agree at all |
B. Place a mark on the line below each item indicating how helpful you think cannabinoids are for the following symptoms: |
Pain Not at all |
Seizures Not at all |
Muscle spasms Not at all |
Anxiety Not at all |
Insomnia Not at all |
Depression Not at all |
Nausea/Vomiting Not at all |
C. Place a mark on the line below each item indicating how beneficial you think cannabinoids are for the following aspects in patients with chronic pain syndromes: |
Energy level Not at all |
Mood Not at all |
Social engagement Not at all |
Sense of hope Not at all |
D. Place a mark on the line below each item indicating how worried you may be regarding prescribing medical cannabis to your patients: |
I’m worried of getting sued because of discrepancy between state and federal regulations Not at all |
I’m worried of getting in trouble ‘later’ like what has happened with the opioid crisis Not at all |
I feel worried or uncomfortable recommending medical cannabis for my patients Not at all |
E. Place a mark on the line opposite each item indicating how prepared you are for prescribing medical cannabis to your patients: |
I’m prepared enough to answer patients’ questions about medical cannabis Not at all |
I had enough education regarding medical cannabis during my training Not at all |
I think I don’t need to see more research before offering medical cannabis for my patients Not at all |
F. Check a response to the following questions: |
Are you registered to recommend medical cannabis in your state? Yes No |
Have you ever recommended medical cannabis for your patients? Yes No |
Do you take care of patients on medical cannabis? Yes No |
G. Please check a response to the following questions: |
How long have been graduated from medical school? <5 years 5–10 years >10 years |
What is your age? <30 years 30–50 years >50 years |
What is your gender? Male Female Non-binary |
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Narouze, S.N., Hakim, S.M., Kohan, L., Souza, D. (2021). Pain Physicians and Medical Cannabis: Attitudes, Believes, Preparedness and Knowledge. In: Narouze, S.N. (eds) Cannabinoids and Pain. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69186-8_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69186-8_4
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