#55 Clinical Context
Background information relevant to the evolving cannabis medicine landscape.
“The proliferation of telemedicine platforms for cannabis prescribing has fundamentally changed access, but it’s also created a two-tiered system where patients with resources get proper evaluations while others receive cursory consultations that prioritize throughput over clinical care.”
💻 The expansion of telemedicine platforms into cannabis prescribing represents a significant shift in access patterns that clinicians should monitor carefully. While remote consultations can reduce barriers for patients in underserved areas, the financial incentives embedded in direct-to-consumer cannabis platforms and the typically limited evaluation time in telehealth encounters may increase the risk of inappropriate prescribing or inadequate screening for contraindications and drug interactions. The lack of standardized clinical guidelines for cannabis use across most jurisdictions, combined with variable state and international regulations, creates additional complexity in determining what constitutes appropriate patient selection and dosing. Clinicians should be aware that patients may be obtaining cannabis through these channels with minimal oversight and should take an expanded substance use history that specifically asks about telemedicine-sourced cannabis, just as they would for other medications obtained outside traditional pharmacy networks. Given the current evidence gaps around cannabis efficacy and safety in most conditions, providers can best serve their patients
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