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Description

Purpose: Medical marijuana is gaining clinical and legislative relevance in Italy, yet little is known about Italian medical students’ knowledge, attitudes, and preparedness regarding its therapeutic use. As future physicians, medical students will play a key role in integrating cannabis-based therapies safely into patient care. This study assessed Italian medical students’ perceived knowledge, clinical exposure, and attitudes toward medical marijuana, and evaluated implications for the medical curriculum.

Methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was distributed to students across Italian medical universities from May 2023 to March 2024. The survey used Likert-scale items to assess attitudes, perceived knowledge, educational exposure, and acceptability across various medical conditions. Descriptive statistics were generated, and chi-square tests examined differences by demographics, year of study, and university type (public vs private).

Results: Among 382 participants, attitudes were overwhelmingly positive: 95.0% supported inclusion in medical curricula, and 86.6% would prescribe it under current laws. However, a significant gap exists between support and preparedness. Among clinical-year students (n=155), only 12.9% felt adequately knowledgeable to counsel patients, and only 5.8% had participated in the care of a patient using medical marijuana. While 43.2% reported classroom instruction, only 12.9% received adequate clinical instruction.

Conclusion: Medical students in Italy strongly support the use and study of medical cannabis but lack the formal knowledge and clinical exposure necessary for safe practice. These findings highlight the need for improved clinical training, and inclusion of evidence-based instruction in the medical curriculum to prepare future physicians for safe prescribing in an environment of evolving legislation.

Publication Date

2-2-2026

Keywords

medical curriculum, medical marijuana

Disciplines

Medical Education | Medicine and Health Sciences

Comments

Presented at the 2026 AOA Research Symposium.

Italian Medical Students' Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs about Medical Marijuana and their Implications on the Italian Medical Curriculum

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