Most Nursing Students Receive No Formal Cannabis Education. Patients Deserve Better.

A patient asks a nurse whether cannabis might interact with a medication. It is a reasonable question. But an analysis highlighted by National NORML suggests many future nurses leave school without the training or confidence to answer it.

National NORML brought this research to public attention in its original report. We encourage you to read NORML’s full article for the researchers’ conclusions and links to the study.

What did the analysis find?

Researchers reviewed eight international surveys involving more than 3,100 nursing students. Fewer than half of the students across the studies reported receiving formal cannabis education in their curriculum. Most said they felt unprepared to care for patients or answer questions about medical or recreational cannabis.

Among U.S. nursing students, fewer than one in five said they felt prepared to answer questions about medical cannabis. These findings come from a review of surveys, rather than a survey of every nursing program, but they reveal a consistent concern among students.

Why does cannabis education matter in nursing?

A nurse does not need to advocate for cannabis use to discuss it competently. Patients need to be able to say what they use and ask about possible interactions, side effects, and health concerns without fearing judgment.

Education can help nurses have those conversations, recognize when a question needs a pharmacist or prescriber, and be clear about what the evidence does and does not show. The study’s authors called for cannabis-related curricula to support safe, nonjudgmental care.

National NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano also urged schools to address the gap, warning that inadequate training can cost health professionals the confidence and trust of patients who already use cannabis. NORML’s fact sheet on health clinicians’ attitudes toward cannabis gathers related research on training needs across health professions.

What should nursing programs teach?

A practical curriculum could cover the endocannabinoid system, differences among cannabis products, potential adverse effects and drug interactions, and how to ask patients about cannabis without stigma. It should also teach students when to refer a question to another clinician.

Here in Florida, the lesson is straightforward: when patients bring cannabis questions into a health care setting, the people caring for them should be prepared for the conversation.

Read National NORML’s original reporting

National NORML deserves full credit for reporting on this analysis and connecting readers with the research. This article covers the central finding, but NORML’s report includes more from the researchers and Paul Armentano, plus a link to the study.

Please read and share National NORML’s original article, “Analysis: Most Nursing Students Still Don’t Receive Any Formal Education About Cannabis.”

Source: National NORML, September 24, 2026. This article is educational and does not provide individual medical advice.