News Release

Do cannabis dispensary staff receive sufficient training?

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

<i>Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research</i>

image: Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research is the only peer-reviewed open access journal dedicated to the scientific, medical, and psychosociall exploration of clinical cannabis, cannabinoids, and the biochemical mechanisms of endocannabinoids. Led by Editor-in-Chief Daniele Piomelli, PhD, the Journal publishes a broad range of human and animal studies including basic and translational research; clinical studies; behavioral, social, and epidemiological issues; and ethical, legal, and regulatory controversies. Complete information is available on the Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research website. view more 

Credit: ©Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

New Rochelle, NY, Dec. 9, 2016--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, a new peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research website.

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 cannabis 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 training guidelines and programs for dispensary staff has clearly become an urgent national priority."

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About the Journal

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research is the only peer-reviewed open access journal dedicated to the scientific, medical, and psychosociall exploration of clinical cannabis, cannabinoids, and the biochemical mechanisms of endocannabinoids. Led by Editor-in-Chief Daniele Piomelli, PhD, the Journal publishes a broad range of human and animal studies including basic and translational research; clinical studies; behavioral, social, and epidemiological issues; and ethical, legal, and regulatory controversies. Complete information is available on the Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Journal of Medicinal Food, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, and Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers) website.


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