Medical cannabis is now Schedule III, and healthcare professionals have a lot of catching up to do. It is more critical than ever that all healthcare professionals understand the mechanisms of action, effects, side effects, drug interactions, and more.
Healthcare Professionals Need to Master These Six Core Competencies
Vicki Moore, PhD, identified six core competencies clinicians need to obtain as cannabis becomes a Schedule III drug:
- Understand the basics of the endocannabinoid system
- Describe the main components of the cannabis plant and their biological effects
- Review of the history and policy of cannabis within the US and implications for medical practice
- Describe the evidence base for health conditions for which cannabis is commonly used in management
- Understand the potential risks of medical cannabis use
- Understand how to initiate and maintain a treatment plan with medical cannabis.
Get Clinically Ready Now
Cannabinoid medicine and the endocannabinoid system are new topics for most clinicians, but not for the expert clinicians who work with Oaksterdam. Oaksterdam’s Endocannabinology course builds from the 60+ year career and work in harm reduction and cannabinoid medicine by trailblazing clinician David Bearman, MD, Seattle College of Nursing instructor Maria Pettinato, RN, PhD, Carolina Nocetti, PhD, and longtime patient and Oaksterdam Director of Academics Angela Bacca.
Dr. David Bearman, Photo by Benji Bearman
The Endocannabinology course provides the foundation of these six core competencies so that clinicians can:
- Prevent adverse outcomes and identify contraindications
- Support patient safety through guidance and best practices
- Identify and mitigate risks and drug interactions
- Discuss dosing approaches and monitoring
- Document care aligned with current evidence
It also includes Dr. Bearman’s trailblazing clinical standards, which guided countless new clinicians into practice in cannabinoid medicine. Enroll today for self-paced, on-demand coursework.