Yuval Zolotov, Leslie Mendoza Temple, Richard Isralowitz, David A Gorelick, Rebecca Abraham, Donald I Abrams, Kyle Barich, Kevin F Boehnke, Stephen Dahmer, Joseph Friedman, Patricia Frye, Aviad Haramati, Jade Isaac, Mary Lynn Mathre, Marion E McNabb, Melinda Ring, Ethan B Russo, Deepika E Slawek, Brigham R Temple, Genester S Wilson-King, Julia H Arnsten, Mikhail Kogan
{"title":"Developing Medical Cannabis Competencies: A Consensus Statement.","authors":"Yuval Zolotov, Leslie Mendoza Temple, Richard Isralowitz, David A Gorelick, Rebecca Abraham, Donald I Abrams, Kyle Barich, Kevin F Boehnke, Stephen Dahmer, Joseph Friedman, Patricia Frye, Aviad Haramati, Jade Isaac, Mary Lynn Mathre, Marion E McNabb, Melinda Ring, Ethan B Russo, Deepika E Slawek, Brigham R Temple, Genester S Wilson-King, Julia H Arnsten, Mikhail Kogan","doi":"10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.35049","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Importance: </strong>The use of medical cannabis continues to expand rapidly across the US, yet most health care practitioners and trainees report feeling unprepared to counsel patients or integrate cannabis into care. Despite its clinical relevance, standardized education on medical cannabis remains absent from most medical school curricula.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To develop a consensus-based set of core competencies for educating medical students about medical cannabis, including its clinical utility, risks, legal landscape, and evidence base.</p><p><strong>Evidence review: </strong>Between February and October 2023, a modified Delphi process was conducted with 23 experts representing a broad range of clinical and academic expertise. Through 2 rounds of anonymous, web-based surveys, panelists provided quantitative ratings and qualitative feedback on draft competencies. Competencies and subcompetencies were iteratively revised by the research team and re-evaluated by the panel. Final inclusion of competencies required a mean score of 4 or higher (on a 1 to 5 scale) on both importance and wording appropriateness. Subcompetencies were reviewed for comprehensiveness and educational value.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>The expert panel included 14 physicians across multiple specialties, along with nurses, a pharmacist, and individuals with leadership roles in academic medicine. An initial list of 9 competencies was refined and consolidated into 6 core competencies: (1) understand the basics of the endocannabinoid system; (2) describe the main components of the cannabis plant and their biological effects; (3) review the legal and regulatory landscape of cannabis in the US; (4) describe the evidence base for health conditions that are commonly managed with cannabis; (5) understand the potential risks of medical cannabis use; and (6) understand basic clinical management with medical cannabis. Each competency is supported by 2 to 7 subcompetencies, resulting in 26 subcompetencies reflecting granular topics, such as patient safety, vulnerable populations, structural inequities, and interdisciplinary care.</p><p><strong>Conclusions and relevance: </strong>These consensus-derived competencies provide a structured, evidence-informed foundation to guide the integration of medical cannabis into undergraduate medical education. Aligned with competency-based education principles, the implementation of the proposed framework can help ensure that future clinicians are equipped to provide informed, evidence-based, and patient-centered guidance on medical cannabis use.</p>","PeriodicalId":14694,"journal":{"name":"JAMA Network Open","volume":"8 10","pages":"e2535049"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"JAMA Network Open","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.35049","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Importance: The use of medical cannabis continues to expand rapidly across the US, yet most health care practitioners and trainees report feeling unprepared to counsel patients or integrate cannabis into care. Despite its clinical relevance, standardized education on medical cannabis remains absent from most medical school curricula.
Objective: To develop a consensus-based set of core competencies for educating medical students about medical cannabis, including its clinical utility, risks, legal landscape, and evidence base.
Evidence review: Between February and October 2023, a modified Delphi process was conducted with 23 experts representing a broad range of clinical and academic expertise. Through 2 rounds of anonymous, web-based surveys, panelists provided quantitative ratings and qualitative feedback on draft competencies. Competencies and subcompetencies were iteratively revised by the research team and re-evaluated by the panel. Final inclusion of competencies required a mean score of 4 or higher (on a 1 to 5 scale) on both importance and wording appropriateness. Subcompetencies were reviewed for comprehensiveness and educational value.
Findings: The expert panel included 14 physicians across multiple specialties, along with nurses, a pharmacist, and individuals with leadership roles in academic medicine. An initial list of 9 competencies was refined and consolidated into 6 core competencies: (1) understand the basics of the endocannabinoid system; (2) describe the main components of the cannabis plant and their biological effects; (3) review the legal and regulatory landscape of cannabis in the US; (4) describe the evidence base for health conditions that are commonly managed with cannabis; (5) understand the potential risks of medical cannabis use; and (6) understand basic clinical management with medical cannabis. Each competency is supported by 2 to 7 subcompetencies, resulting in 26 subcompetencies reflecting granular topics, such as patient safety, vulnerable populations, structural inequities, and interdisciplinary care.
Conclusions and relevance: These consensus-derived competencies provide a structured, evidence-informed foundation to guide the integration of medical cannabis into undergraduate medical education. Aligned with competency-based education principles, the implementation of the proposed framework can help ensure that future clinicians are equipped to provide informed, evidence-based, and patient-centered guidance on medical cannabis use.
期刊介绍:
JAMA Network Open, a member of the esteemed JAMA Network, stands as an international, peer-reviewed, open-access general medical journal.The publication is dedicated to disseminating research across various health disciplines and countries, encompassing clinical care, innovation in health care, health policy, and global health.
JAMA Network Open caters to clinicians, investigators, and policymakers, providing a platform for valuable insights and advancements in the medical field. As part of the JAMA Network, a consortium of peer-reviewed general medical and specialty publications, JAMA Network Open contributes to the collective knowledge and understanding within the medical community.