Nursing Students' Attitudes and Knowledge of Medical and Recreational Cannabis Use: An Integrative Review.

Ferguson M.; Viveiros J. · International journal of addiction nursing · 2026

**Background & Methods** This integrative review synthesized literature on nursing students' knowledge and attitudes toward medical and recreational cannabis use across eight studies conducted in seven countries (United States, Canada, Greece, Chile, Spain, Cyprus, and Israel). The review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, with six of the eight studies utilizing descriptive cross-sectional designs to assess nursing student preparedness and educational gaps. **Key Findings** • Nursing students overwhelmingly reported feeling unprepared and lacking confidence in caring for patients who use cannabis, indicating insufficient formal education in nursing curricula despite the clinical relevance of cannabis use in healthcare settings. • Seven of eight studies identified significant gaps in cannabis-related knowledge, including inadequate understanding of cannabis science, therapeutic applications, side effects, practice standards, and regulatory frameworks, with notable mismatches between formal education offerings and students' perceived learning needs. • Measurement instruments varied widely across studies, limiting the ability to compare findings and synthesize data on knowledge and attitudes, suggesting a lack of standardized assessment tools in this research area. **Dosage & Administration** Not reported. **Safety & Adverse Effects** The review identified that students lacked knowledge regarding cannabis side effects, but specific adverse effects were not detailed in the included studies. This knowledge gap regarding side effects was highlighted as an educational need requiring curriculum integration. **Evidence Quality** This integrative review demonstrates limited but emerging evidence on nursing students' cannabis knowledge and attitudes. Significant limitations include: heterogeneous study designs and populations limiting generalizability; lack of standardized measurement instruments reducing cross-study comparisons; predominance of descriptive cross-sectional studies providing limited causal inference; and small sample sizes across included studies. The authors acknowledge that evidence remains limited and call for higher-quality research exploring effective curriculum integration strategies and faculty readiness to deliver judgment-free cannabis education. Future studies should develop validated assessment tools and evaluate outcomes of cannabis education interventions in nursing programs.

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