Navigating patients' medical marijuana questions

Despite the growing popularity of cannabis for both medical and recreational use among the general population, it is still a touchy subject for medical professionals. A survey in Colorado-one state where the drug is legal for both medical and recreational applications-found that in 2013, nearly half of the physicians in the state  didn't support recommending cannabis for medical use, and nearly all of them believed that more education was needed.

This hesitation carries through into present-day medicine-in New York, where medical cannabis was legalized in 2014, only 1,200 of the nearly 100,000 licensed doctors in the state have registered for the medical cannabis program.

If patients are asking questions about medical cannabis and its benefits, here are some tips to help physicians navigate the questions and get patients the answers that they need.