# Medicinal Cannabis Prescription Before an Inpatient Psychiatric Admission: A Retrospective Observational Audit. > **Author:** Benjamin Caplan, MD (ABFM Board Certified, MA Lic. #240562, NPI: 1962722637) > **Publisher:** CED Clinic (https://cedclinic.com) > **Canonical URL:** https://cedclinic.com/medicinal-cannabis-prescription-before-an-inpatient-psychiatric-admission-a/ > **Published:** 2026-04-28T02:04:59-04:00 | **Last Modified / Clinically Audited:** 2026-09-28T17:16:39-04:00 > **Clinical Summary:** Prescribing of medicinal cannabis has expanded in Australia; however, evidence for benefit in psychiatric populations is limited. The goal of this study was ... --- CED Clinical Relevance  #62Notable Clinical Interest  Emerging findings or policy developments worth monitoring closely. 🔬 Evidence Watch  |  CED Clinic Journal Journal of psychiatric practice Study Type Observational Study Population Human participants Why This Matters This item covers developments relevant to [cannabis medicine](https://cedclinic.com/essential-oils-industrial-hemp-antimicrobial-benefits/) and [clinical practice](https://cedclinic.com/cannabis-reproductive-health-women-clinical-evidence/). Clinicians monitoring evidence in this area should review the source material. Clinical Summary Prescribing of medicinal cannabis has expanded in Australia; however, evidence for benefit in psychiatric populations is limited. The goal of this study was to estimate the prevalence and characteristics of recent medicinal [cannabis prescribing](https://cedclinic.com/addressing-cannabis-education-gap-clinical-care/) among psychiatric inpatients and to describe presentations associated with these admissions. We conducted a retrospective observational audit of adult patients admitted to a large metropolitan adult acute psychiatric unit in Brisbane, Australia, between September 2021 and October 2023. Electronic medical records were reviewed to identify medicinal cannabis prescriptions in the 90 days before admission. Information concerning demographics, indications, formulation, labeled potency, dispensing frequency, presentations, and length of stay were extracted for patients who had received such prescriptions. Of the 752 patients who were screened, 35 patients (4.7%) were prescribed medicinal cannabis in the 90 days before admission. Most of the patients ( Dr. Caplan’s Take “This is a development worth tracking. The clinical implications will become clearer as more evidence accumulates.” Clinical Perspective 🧠 Clinicians should review this item in the context of their current practice and patient population. 💬 Join the Conversation Have a question about how this applies to your situation? [Ask Dr. Caplan →](https://benjamincaplan.com/ask-dr-caplan) Want to discuss this topic with other patients and caregivers? [Join the forum discussion →](https://cedclinic.com/interact/discussion-forums/) Have thoughts on this? Share it: [X Share on X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Just%20read%20this%20on%20CEDclinic.com%3A%20Medicinal%20Cannabis%20Prescription%20Before%20an%20Inpatient%20Psychiatric%20Admission%3A%20A%20Retrospective%20Observati...%20%40drcaplan&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcedclinic.com%2Fmedicinal-cannabis-prescription-before-an-inpatient-psychiatric-admission-a%2F)[in Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcedclinic.com%2Fmedicinal-cannabis-prescription-before-an-inpatient-psychiatric-admission-a%2F)[🦅 Share on BlueSky](https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Just%20read%20this%3A%20Medicinal%20Cannabis%20Prescription%20Before%20an%20Inpatient%20Psychiatric%20Admission%3A%20A%20Retrospective%20Observati...%20via%20%40drcaplan.bsky.social%20https%3A%2F%2Fcedclinic.com%2Fmedicinal-cannabis-prescription-before-an-inpatient-psychiatric-admission-a%2F)[📷 Follow on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/drbenjamincaplan)[📝 Read more on Substack](https://doctorapprovedcannabis.substack.com/)[🔔 Subscribe via RSS](https://cedclinic.com/feed/) 📰 Source: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41894185/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41894185/) Table of Contents - [FAQ](#FAQ)[How many psychiatric inpatients had a recent medicinal cannabis prescription?](#How_many_psychiatric_inpatients_had_a_recent_medicinal_cannabis_prescription) - [What details about cannabis prescriptions did the audit collect?](#What_details_about_cannabis_prescriptions_did_the_audit_collect) - [Is there strong evidence that medicinal cannabis benefits psychiatric patients?](#Is_there_strong_evidence_that_medicinal_cannabis_benefits_psychiatric_patients) - [Related](#Related) ## FAQ ### How many psychiatric inpatients had a recent medicinal cannabis prescription? Of 752 patients screened, 35, or 4.7%, had been prescribed medicinal cannabis in the 90 days before admission. The audit covered adults admitted to a large metropolitan adult acute psychiatric unit in Brisbane, Australia, between September 2021 and October 2023, and researchers reviewed electronic medical records to identify these prescriptions. ### What details about cannabis prescriptions did the audit collect? For patients who had received a medicinal cannabis prescription, researchers extracted information on demographics, indications, formulation, labeled potency, and dispensing frequency. They also recorded the presentations associated with these admissions and each patient’s length of stay. ### Is there strong evidence that medicinal cannabis benefits psychiatric patients? No. The summary notes that prescribing of medicinal cannabis has expanded in Australia, but evidence for benefit in psychiatric populations is limited. This audit was designed to estimate how common recent prescribing was among psychiatric inpatients and to describe related presentations, not to test whether cannabis helps or harms. [https://cedclinic.com/contact/](https://cedclinic.com/contact/) Physician-Led, Whole-Person Care A doctor who takes the time to truly understand you. Personal care that starts with listening and is guided by experience and ingenuity. Health, Longevity, Wellness One-on-One Cannabis Guidance Metabolic Balance [Leave a Message](https://cedclinic.com/contact/) [Metabolic Care](https://cedclinic.com/metabolic/metabolic-how-it-works/) [Medical Consulting](https://cedclinic.com/book/) [Cannabis Care](https://cedclinic.com/book/) [https://cedclinic.com/contact/](https://cedclinic.com/contact/) ### Related --- ### Verification & Medical Governance - **Lead Clinical Author:** Benjamin Caplan, MD - **Credentials:** Board Certified in Family Medicine (ABFM), Former CMO Canna Care Docs (250,000+ patients supervised), Founder & CMO CED Clinic & CED Foundation, Author of *The Doctor-Approved Cannabis Handbook* (Penguin Random House). - **Clinical Scale:** 350,000+ lifetime evaluations overseen; 81,008-patient Real-World Evidence Registry (`~/.ced_rwe_vault.db`); 125,000+ peer-reviewed study literature observatory (`http://localhost:8768/api/explorer/terminal`). - **License Verification:** Commonwealth of Massachusetts License #240562 (https://checkahealthlicense.mass.gov/). - **NPI Registry:** 1962722637 (https://npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov/provider-view/1962722637). - **Ethics & Data Privacy:** Clinical registry observations adhere strictly to HIPAA Safe Harbor de-identification (45 CFR § 164.514(b)) and criteria for secondary research exemption under 45 CFR § 46.104(d)(4).