Research ArticleOriginal Research

Colorado Family Physicians' Attitudes Toward Medical Marijuana

Elin Kondrad and Alfred Reid
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine January 2013, 26 (1) 52-60; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2013.01.120089

Article Figures & Data

Figures

  • Figure 1.
    Figure 1.

    Indications for which family physicians (FPs) are recommending medical marijuana compared with reasons that patients are in the Colorado medical marijuana registry. Medical conditions listed on the left are the 8 approved conditions for which physicians can recommend medical marijuana in Colorado. “Registry patients” indicates percentages of patients on the Colorado state medical marijuana registry for each indication shown, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment. “Surveyed FPs” indicates the percentage of survey respondents who had recommended medical marijuana for each indication (only the 31% of physicians who had recommended marijuana to a patient were asked to answer this question).

  • Figure 2.
    Figure 2.

    Sources of information about medical marijuana indicated by survey respondents, broken down by whether respondents had recommended medical marijuana for a patient. *Difference in proportions is statistically significant (P < 0.01). CME, continuing medical education.

  • Figure 3.
    Figure 3.

    Influences on the decision to recommend or not recommend medical marijuana to a patient, as reported by survey respondents. *Difference in proportions is statistically significant (P < 0.01). CME, continuing medical education.

Tables

  • Table 1. Demographics of All Colorado Academy of Family Physicians (CAFP) Members vs Survey Respondents
    Survey RespondentsCAFP Members
    Age, years
        20–2941 (8)243 (12)
        30–3987 (17)448 (23)
        40–49152 (30)499 (25)
        50–59161 (32)464 (23)
        60–6965 (13)206 (10)
        ≥705 (1)98 (5)
    Sex
        Male284 (56)1078 (54)
        Female224 (44)913 (46)

    • Values provided as n (%). Distribution of survey respondents did not differ significantly from the CAFP membership by age category or sex.

  • Table 2. Comparison of Survey Respondents Who Have Recommended Medical Marijuana for a Patient With Those Who Have Not
    Survey StatementRecommended Marijuana for a PatientP*
    YesNo
    %n%n
    Physicians should recommend marijuana as a medical therapy.†778711233<.001
    Marijuana helps patients who suffer from chronic, debilitating medical conditions.9713459212<.001
    There are significant physical health benefits to using marijuana.†729926234<.001
    Training about medical marijuana should be incorporated into family medicine residency curricula.9914192285.004
    The FDA should reclassify marijuana so that it is no longer a schedule I drug.†7511933280<.001
    There are significant mental health benefits to using marijuana.448214254<.001
    Training about medical marijuana should be incorporated into medical school curricula.9913893272.02
    Marijuana should be legalized for recreational use.†5411431277<.001
    Physicians should have formal training about medical marijuana prior to recommending it to patients.9011696305.01
    Marijuana can be addictive.7412591297<.001
    Using marijuana poses serious physical health risks.5510786274<.001
    Using marijuana poses serious mental health risks.5710389282<0.001

    • Percentages in each column represent agreement with the statement; numbers represent the total number of ‘agree' or ‘disagree' responses for that statement.

    • ↵* χ2 Test of independence.

    • ↵† A majority of the 2 groups differ on this statement.

    • FDA, US Food and Drug Administration.

  • Table 3. Comparison of Survey Respondents Who Report Personal Marijuana Use as an Influence on Their Decision to Recommend or Not Recommend Marijuana To Those Who Do Not Report Personal Marijuana Use as an Influence
    Survey StatementReported Using MarijuanaP*
    YesNo
    %n%n
    Marijuana can be addictive.561688408.002
    Using marijuana poses serious mental health risks.541382374.02
    Doctors should have ongoing relationships with patients for whom they recommend medical marijuana.891998439.03

    • Percents represent respondents in each column that agree with the survey statement. Numbers represent total numbers of respondents who agreed or disagreed with the statement.

    • ↵* Fisher Exact Test.

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