Marijuana: Judgement can preclude an honest dialogue in healthcare

There are some topics in which medicine has a more cohesive and consistent message, but thus far, my experiences in medical school have suggested that marijuana isn’t one of them. For some, it’s a harmless drug with tremendous potential and for others, comparable to opioids.The discussions between physicians and patients regarding marijuana can be strongly influenced by ideologies in either direction, potentially undermining our ability to have an honest dialogue with patients. I explored this discussion through a combination of personal experiences in medical education and by sharing terminology and concepts that may be valuable in a patient-physician dialogue.