I just finished reading a study suggesting that cannabis users, in general, are not likely to rely on government and healthcare sources for information about cannabis. Most people get their information from websites, friends, and family. That piqued my curiosity. I am especially curious about why medical cannabis users do not rely more on their doctors for information.
For the record, the study I read was conducted as a survey among more than 1100 American adults. Survey data revealed that friends and family and websites were the top two sources of information for people who wanted to know more about cannabis. The least referenced sources of information were government entities and healthcare providers.
Even medical cannabis users don’t seem all that interested in what their doctors have to say. Just 16.4% reported relying on healthcare professionals as their source of marijuana information. My question is, why?
1. General Mistrust
I don’t have a rock-solid answer. However, I believe I can make some educated guesses. At the top of my list is a general mistrust of the healthcare industry. This mistrust arises from constantly escalating healthcare costs combined with clinicians and support staff who seem to treat patients more as numbers than human beings.
Of course, not all healthcare workers are cold and callous. And in fact, many are prisoners to a system built around processing volume rather than actually meeting patient needs. Still, it is hard for a patient to truly appreciate his or her doctor when he only gets 10 minutes of the doctor’s time.
2. Let’s Try This and See
I suspect that another cause of mistrust is the ‘let’s try this and see’ approach so common in today’s healthcare. I have experienced it myself. I have a chronic health condition that has left me partially disabled for the last 15 years. My doctors generally don’t know what to do. So their approach to treating me is to keep trying new things to see if something works.
That sort of thing gets old after a while. If most people are like me, they would rather their doctors admit they don’t know and move on. I have personally given up on the ‘let’s try this’ approach. As a result, I am constantly on the lookout for any new information that might help. I pay attention to studies, surveys, medical news, and so forth.
3. The Flood of Prescription Drugs
I suspect many patients do not turn to their doctors for information about cannabis because they know the medical community’s tendency to recommend prescription drugs instead. As explained by the operators of Cedar City Utah’s Zion Medicinal medical cannabis pharmacy, medical cannabis is not sold as a prescription medication.
Doctors do not prescribe medical cannabis because they cannot under federal law. Instead, they offer cannabis recommendations. It is up to patients to visit establishments like Zion Medicinal, where they can consult with pharmacists before making purchase choices. When they go home, they ultimately self-medicate.
America has been flooded with prescription drugs. But medical cannabis is seen as a viable alternative. Take managing pain. Cannabis is an alternative to prescription narcotics. For some patients, it is a better choice all the way around. They have had enough of the prescription drugs. Medical cannabis represents something more natural.
There could be other reasons I have completely missed. Regardless, I find it ironic that medical cannabis patients have fought so hard for the right to use the drug but then do not consult with their doctors about it. Perhaps that’s just the nature of medical cannabis itself.
