Do cannabis dispensary staff receive sufficient training?

Do cannabis dispensary staff receive sufficient training?
Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

As legalization of cannabis for medical use increases across the U.S., the training of dispensary staff, who may recommend cannabis type and concentration to patients, requires closer examination. A new study, which found that only 55% of dispensary staff reported having some formal training for their positions, is published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

In the article "Training and Practices of Cannabis Dispensary Staff ," it was found that only 20% of staff had any medical or scientific training, even though most (94%) reported giving advice to patients. Nancy Haug, PhD, Palo Alto University and Stanford University School of Medicine (Stanford, CA), and coauthors from VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore, MD), Philadelphia Veteran's Administration Medical Center (PA), and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (Philadelphia), report that some of the recommendations made by dispensary staff have not been shown to be effective and could even cause a patient's condition to worsen.

"These numbers are appalling, but unfortunately not surprising," says Editor-in-Chief Daniele Piomelli, PhD, University of California-Irvine, School of Medicine. "Establishing guidelines and programs for dispensary staff has clearly become an urgent national priority."

More information: Nancy A. Haug et al, Training and Practices of Cannabis Dispensary Staff, Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research (2016). DOI: 10.1089/can.2016.0024

Citation: Do cannabis dispensary staff receive sufficient training? (2016, December 9) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-12-cannabis-dispensary-staff-sufficient.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Do cannabis users think package warnings are needed?

0 shares

Feedback to editors