title: Physician attitudes regarding the prescription of medical marijuana.
abstract: Surveys of physicians' attitudes regarding the therapeutic value of marijuana are rare. Drawing on a national sample of family physicians, general internists, obstetrician-gynecologists, psychiatrists, and addiction specialists, 960 (adjusted response rate 66%) offered opinions about the legal prescription of marijuana as medical therapy. Thirty-six percent believed prescribed marijuana should be legal and 26% were neutral to the proposition. Non-moralistic attitudes toward substance use were significantly associated with support for physician prescription, as was internal medicine and obstetrics-gynecology specialization. Physicians are, in general, less supportive than the general American public regarding the use of medical marijuana.
authors.affiliation: University of California at Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Charuvastra
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Friedmann
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002188:Cannabis; D003625:Data Collection; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D005194:Family Practice; D006176:Gynecology; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D009014:Morals; D009774:Obstetrics; D010541:Permissiveness; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011570:Psychiatry; D013038:Specialization; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
chemical_list: D002186:Cannabinoids; D028321:Plant Preparations