People who consume marijuana trust dispensary staff more than healthcare providers or government agencies as a source of information about cannabis, according to a new federally funded study.
Researchers with the University of California, Johns Hopkins University and other institutions conducted an online survey of 1,023 U.S. residents over the age of 18 who used a THC-containing cannabis product in the past month, asking them to rate the level of trust they place in several sources of information about marijuana.
“We found that dispensary staff were the most trusted, followed by friends and healthcare providers, while other sources were less trusted,” the paper, published in the journal Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, said.
On a scale of 1-5, dispensary staff scored an average of 3.7, while friends got 3.5, healthcare providers got 3.4, state and federal government officials both got 2.9, social media posts scored 2.6 and other sellers of cannabis also got 2.6.
“For many who use cannabis, dispensary staff are a more trusted source of information than healthcare providers.”
On a deeper analysis, however, the study, which was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), found that “trust in cannabis information sources depends on motivation for use.”
“When asked who they would trust the most for using cannabis medicinally, healthcare providers were selected most often (55%), followed by dispensary staff (20%), friends (8%), and people on social media (5%),” the paper said. “When asked who they trust the most for using cannabis for fun or relaxation, dispensary staff were selected most often (47%), followed by friends (37%), people on social media (7%), and healthcare providers (4%).”
“People in state and federal government had lower average levels of trust.”
The researchers wrote that the fact that marijuana industry workers are generally seen as more trustworthy than medical professionals indicates a “need for integration of cannabis core competencies and minimum knowledge standards into healthcare provider education.”
“Scientific and medical information about cannabis lags behind emerging cannabis markets,” the study concluded. “As a result, many individuals who use cannabis turn to non-healthcare sources for trustworthy information about cannabis.”
Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon pledge.
