Clinical Experience and Student Support for Medical Cannabis Use: A Secondary Analysis

Abstract

Objective: As medical cannabis (MC) legalization expands across the United States, understanding the factors shaping healthcare students’ support for its use is essential to informing educational practices and reducing stigma in clinical care.  Method: This secondary analysis examined factors associated with students’ support for medical cannabis use (SFMCU), including clinical experience, personal cannabis use, demographic characteristics, and variation across patient vignettes. Participants (N = 349) were recruited from sciences and healthcare majors at multiple higher education institutions. SFMCU was measured using four clinical vignettes, and linear mixed-effects modeling was employed to account for both within- and between-subject variability. Results: Students with clinical experience demonstrated significantly lower SFMCU compared to those without such experience (p < .001). Personal cannabis use was also associated with higher SFMCU, with users reporting greater support than non-users (p < .001). Older age and male gender predicted higher SFMCU (p < .05). Support varied by vignette type, with participants reporting greater SFMCU for post-traumatic stress disorder and insomnia compared to depression (p < .001). Conclusions: Findings indicate that clinical experience, personal cannabis use, and demographic factors each influence students’ attitudes toward MC. Students with healthcare experience exhibited lower support, possibly reflecting exposure to traditional medical norms or institutional stigma. These results underscore the need to integrate evidence-based MC education into healthcare curricula to enhance student knowledge, address misconceptions, and prepare future professionals to engage in informed, stigma-free patient care.