Attitudes toward medical marijuana among substance use clinicians

Abstract

ABSTRACTBackground: Research on health professional’s attitudes toward medical marijuana have failed to include addictions treatment professionals. The current study attempted to address this gap in the literature.Methods: Study participants were recruited by e-mail using mailing lists supplied by multiple state licensing/certification boards and through snowball sampling. Participants completed a 22-item survey addressing attitudes toward medical and recreational marijuana. The 13 items relating to medical marijuana were analyzed.Results: Our sample (N = 966) was largely female (69.1%) with a Masters’ or Doctoral degree (80%) and a mean age of 46.5 (SD = 12.8). Participants were mostly split between the mid-west and east coast. Overall, participants held mixed views toward medical marijuana. For example, 71.3% of the sample supported legalization of marijuana for medical purposes and yet 63.6% believed that medical marijuana is often abused.Conclusions: More research is needed to develop a more nuanced understanding of substance use treatment provider’s mixed attitudes toward medical marijuana legalization.