Researchers developed a consensus statement to address core competencies to guide educating medical students on the use of medical cannabis, including on such aspects of clinical utility, risks, the evidence base, and the legal landscape. They presented their statement in a report published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

“With the upsurge in medical cannabis use, the proposed competency framework is readily adaptable to a variety of educational settings and teaching modalities,” the researchers wrote in their report.

The consensus statement was developed through a modified Delphi process and included 23 experts with varied clinical and academic backgrounds. The process occurred in 2 rounds and involved web-based questionnaires. Through this process, the expert panel identified 6 core competencies for medical cannabis education and rated them for comprehensiveness using a 5-point Likert scale. 

Participants in the Delphi process included 15 participants with an MD or DO degree, 4 who had a PhD or DrPH, 2 with a master’s degree, and 2 having a bachelor’s degree. The highest academic degree had been earned 21 or more years ago by 13 participants (57%).

The panel assigned high ratings to a total of 9 preliminary competencies that they evaluated in round 1, with variations in scores across competencies. The set of competencies was refined for round 2, during which 6 core competencies were evaluated. In round 2, the mean level of importance for competencies was 4.48 (SD, 0.28), whereas it was 4.03 (SD, 0.34) in round 1. Additionally, wording appropriateness in round 2 was associated with a mean score of 4.39 (SD, 0.22).

The final set of core competencies include

• Understand the basics of the endocannabinoid system, 
• Describe the main components of the cannabis plant and their biological effects, 
• Review of the history and policy of cannabis within the US and implications for medical practice, 
• Describe the evidence base for health conditions for which cannabis is commonly used in management, 
• Understand the potential risks of medical cannabis use, and 
• Understand how to initiate and maintain a treatment plan with medical cannabis.

These core competencies identified by the panel also included 26 subcompetencies providing additional granularity across topics.

“These proposed competencies should serve as the basis for educational programs, ensuring the next generation of health care practitioners is aptly informed to manage the care of patients who use medical cannabis or those considering this treatment modality,” the researchers wrote in their report.

Disclosures: Some authors declared affiliations with biotech, pharmaceutical, and/or device companies. Please see the original reference for a full list of disclosures.

This article originally appeared on Oncology Nurse Advisor