A multidisciplinary panel of 23 experts finalized six core competencies to guide cannabis education in U.S. medical schools. Students and physicians should understand the endocannabinoid system, cannabis components and their biological effects, the U.S. legal and regulatory environment, evidence for therapeutic indications, risk assessment, and basic clinical management.
Each domain contains further subcompetencies that include patient safety, vulnerable populations, structural inequities, and interdisciplinary care. The competencies were rated highly for importance (mean 4.5) and wording (mean 4.4) using 5-point scales. Most panel members recommended 8 to 10 hours of instruction in existing pharmacology, public health, and clinical-medicine courses rather than developing separate electives.
Along with fellow researchers, Yuval Zolotov, PhD, of the Department of Health Systems Management at Ariel University in Israel and the Division of General Internal Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, noted that as of February 2023, medical cannabis was legal in 38 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 3 US territories. Further, nearly 3.9 million patients were registered for medical cannabis use in 34 states and the District of Columbia. However, formal medical-school instruction on cannabis science and clinical management remains limited—only 9% of medical school curricula in the 2015 to 2016 academic year mentioned medical cannabis, despite clinical evidence for its therapeutic benefit in pain, muscle spasticity, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
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