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Overcoming Misconceptions

Across the globe, misconceptions and historical stigma have limited the widespread acceptance of cannabis products, including cannabidiol, as medical options.1 The social stigmas of medical cannabis include negative views of cannabis as a recreational drug, criminal sanctions associated with cannabis use, and use of cannabis in the context of existing illness or disability, which can have their own stigmas.2

For clinicians, prescribing medical cannabis products can raise ethical issues and stigmas threatening their social and professional relationships.1,2 In fact, most neurologists (74%), nurses (88%), and nurse practitioners (92%) agree there is a stigma attached to recommending medical cannabis use for their patients.2 These stigmas may be attributed to a lack of understanding of medical cannabis since clinicians who indicated they were more knowledgeable about medical cannabis had better attitudes toward medical cannabis.1,2

Another challenge faced in the further clinical evaluation and approval of cannabidiol for other neurologic conditions lies in the complex and unclear regulatory framework that exists for cannabis products. Consistent research and access to cannabidiol-based therapies have been hindered by differences in laws regarding cannabis products for medical purposes.1,3

In the United States a complex framework exists for cannabidiol involving federal and state laws.4 At the federal level, cannabidiol containing <0.3% THC was legalized under the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018. However, nearly all cannabidiol products, along with cannabis and all other cannabis derivatives, are classified as schedule 1 by the US FDA, meaning they have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, which had previously hindered research on cannabidiol.1,4 However, the FDA-approved cannabidiol agent is Schedule 5, meaning that is has the lowest potential for abuse relative to other scheduled substances.

References

  1. Gabarin A, Yarmolinsky L, Budovsky A, et al. Cannabis as a source of approved drugs: A new look at an old problem. Molecules. 2023;28:7686.
  2. Szaflarski M, McGoldrick P, Currens L, et al. Attitudes and knowledge about cannabis and cannabis-based therapies among US neurologists, nurses, and pharmacists. Epilepsy Behav. 2020:109:107102.
  3. Singh K, Bhushan B, Chanchal DP, et al. Emerging therapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) in neurological disorders: A comprehensive review. Behav Neurol. 2023;2023:8825358.
  4. Mead A. Legal and regulatory issues governing cannabis and cannabis-derived products in the United States. Front Plant Sci. 2019;10:697.

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