Medical Marijuana: A Brief Introduction for Sophomore Nursing Students

By Haylee Kupiec, Nursing; Lauren Pearson, Nursing; Kendall Supinger, Nursing ; Ellie Thonnings, University of Cincinnati; Amanda Scheurle, University of Cincinnati; Whitney Gazar, University of Cincinnati Advisor: Tamara Brockman Abstract: Since California first legalized marijuana for medical purposes in 1996, it has become an evolving topic in healthcare garnering significant state and public support. Currently, there are 33 legalized states and an estimate of 2.8 million qualified Americans partaking in the use of medical marijuana (Marijuana Policy Project, 2019). No specific education is given to nursing students at University of Cincinnati's College of Nursing in regard to medical marijuana use in clinical practice, the legal aspect, or the nurse's role in Ohio. The purpose of our presentation is to educate our target audience on pharmacology, current laws and regulations in Ohio, and to summarize the changing nursing role regarding medical marijuana. We created an evidence-based education session to present in March 2020 to sophomore nursing students at the University of Cincinnati. The education will include a PowerPoint and video displaying topics such as pharmacology, terminology, methods of administration, Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, and the ANA position statement concerning medical marijuana. We plan to evaluate the students' knowledge change by administering a pre- and post- educational intervention test. Results will be available upon analysis of these tests, following the education session.E