• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Talking to patients about cannabis

Medical Environment Update, April 19, 2020

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe to Medical Environment Update.

by Brian Ward

Do providers need to know if their patients use cannabis? Yes.

There are many ramifications of cannabis use on patient care, including potential interaction with anesthesia or other medicines (see next week's story for more). Patients should disclose cannabis to their providers, especially before any surgery or medical procedure.

Do patients always tell their providers about their cannabis use? No.

Many patients omit information or lie about their cannabis habits for fear of being reported to law enforcement. Or they might be confused by the screening questions. Or they may want to avoid the stigma that often comes with cannabis use.

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe to Medical Environment Update.

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive