AONL members share attitudes on medical cannabis

With medical cannabis now legal in most states, nurse leaders need to understand how cannabis use may be affecting patients. To better understand nurse leaders’ attitudes toward medical cannabis use, AONL collaborated with researchers at George Washington University School of Nursing on a national survey. More than 800 AONL members responded. Interviews and focus groups with 28 nurse leaders provided additional qualitative data regarding nurse attitudes. The study, published in the International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, identified four major themes. They are: overwhelming support for legalized medical cannabis; importance of overcoming the stereotype of a gateway drug; problematic mismatch between federal and state cannabis policies; and the attitude that nursing needs to be move involved. To incentivize participation, 10 members – Jayne Willis, Rita Linus, Lisa Torchia, Lucinda Harden, Kristin Ferguson, Sabrina Sumner, Paula Dycus, Christina Maakestad, Alyssa Fixley and Caren Lewis – were randomly selected to receive Apple iPads.