American Nurses Association Official Statement
Sep 27th 2023 Statement Link
The American Nurses Association (ANA), representing the interests of the nation’s more than 5 million nurses, announces the formal recognition of cannabis nursing as a nursing specialty. Cannabis nursing is identified by the American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA) as a specialty nursing practice focused on the care of health care consumers seeking education and guidance in the therapeutic use of cannabis.
“ANA is pleased to officially recognize cannabis nursing practice as a nursing specialty,” said ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. “This recognition highlights the essential role and special contribution of cannabis nurses to the health care system and promotes enhanced integration of cannabis therapies for health care consumers across diverse health care settings.”
ACNA’s mission is to advance excellence in cannabis nursing practice through advocacy, collaboration, education, research, and policy development. These efforts support the ACNA vision to improve health care outcomes by empowering pathways for cannabis education and competency through wisdom, compassion, integrity, and social justice principles.
“We are deeply gratified by the groundbreaking establishment of cannabis nursing as an ANA-recognized nursing specialty. Nurses are the largest group of health professionals, providing an opportunity to change the health care paradigm and include diverse wellness modalities beyond traditional Western medicine. Cannabis nursing requires specialized knowledge and competencies to navigate care and address the stigma associated with medical cannabis use to support a healthy society. We seek to create lasting, transformative change that enriches both specialized and general nursing practices, ultimately serving the well-being of patients nationwide,” said ACNA President Rachel Parmelee MSN, RN, CNE, AHN-BC.
ACNA is committed not only to pioneering the cannabis nursing field, but also to contributing to the broader landscape of nursing practice and patient care. ANA is the sole reviewing body of specialty nursing scope of practice and standards of practice, requests for specialty recognition, and affirmation of focused practice competencies.
ANA supports the urgency of clinical research to inform patients and providers on the efficacy of marijuana and related cannabinoids. In an official position, ANA addresses the roles and responsibilities of nurses related to the use of cannabinoids for health care and recognizes the potential for cannabinoids to be used in disease treatment and symptom management.
American Nurses Association Position Statement on the Theraputic Use Of Marijuana and Related Cannabinoids
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Silver Spring, MD 20910
www.nursingworld.org
Therapeutic Use of Marijuana and Related
Cannabinoids
Effective Date: 2021
Status: Reaffirmed Position Statement
Written by: ANA Center for Ethics and Human Rights
Adopted by: ANA Board of Directors
Purpose
The purpose of this statement is to reiterate the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) support for the
review and reclassification of marijuana’s status from a federal Schedule I controlled substances to facilitate
urgently needed clinical research to inform patients and providers on the efficacy of marijuana and related
cannabinoids. This position statement speaks only to the use of marijuana and related cannabinoids in the
context of health care. It addresses the roles and responsibilities of nurses related to the use of
cannabinoids for health care.
Statement of ANA Position
Marijuana and its derivatives continue to be used to alleviate disease-related symptoms and side effects.
The findings of anecdotal and controlled studies regarding the efficacy for patient use are mixed. Current
federal regulations impede the research necessary to evaluate and determine the therapeutic use of
marijuana and related cannabinoids. This position statement does not extend to the current debate on the
legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes. The goal is to develop an evidence-based approach to
its use in the treatment of disease and symptom management.
Recommendations
“It is the shared responsibility of professional nursing organizations to speak for nurses collectively in
shaping health care and to promulgate change for the improvement of health and health care” (ANA, 2015,
p. 36). Therefore, the ANA strongly supports:
• Scientific review of marijuana’s status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance and relisting
marijuana as a federal Schedule II controlled substance for purposes of facilitating research.
• Development of prescribing standards that includes indications for use, specific dose, route,
expected effect and possible side effects, as well as indications for stopping a medication.
• Establishing evidence-based standards for the use of marijuana and related cannabinoids.
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 400
Silver Spring, MD 20910
www.nursingworld.org
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• Protection from criminal or civil penalties for patients using therapeutic marijuana and related
cannabinoids as permitted under state laws.
• Exemption from criminal prosecution, civil liability, or professional sanctioning, such as loss of
licensure or credentialing, for health care practitioners who discuss treatment alternatives
concerning marijuana or who prescribe, dispense or administer marijuana in accordance with
professional standards and state laws.
Background
Marijuana and related cannabinoids are widely used to treat disease or alleviate symptoms, but their
efficacy for specific indications is not clear (Whiting et al., 2015). Marijuana has been used for alleviating
symptoms of nausea and vomiting; stimulating appetite in HIV patients; alleviating chronic pain; easing
spasticity due to multiple sclerosis; decreasing symptoms of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and
psychosis; and relieving intraocular pressure from glaucoma (Whiting, 2015). Some of these indications
have moderate evidence to support treatment with marijuana; however, many do not (Hill, 2015).
Marijuana was widely prescribed in the United States until 1937 when the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937
prohibited its use (Musto, 1972). By 1970, the Controlled Substances Act completely prohibited all
therapeutic use of marijuana by making it a Schedule I drug (Public Law 91-513). Schedule I drugs are
defined as “drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse” (Drug Enforcement
Agency, 2016). Because of this designation, a limited number of DEA licenses to perform clinical research
using marijuana exist (Nutt, 2015). In addition, the DEA has one single source of marijuana approved for
medical research (DEA, 2016). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) supports scientific research into the
use of marijuana and related cannabinoids for medical purposes but has not approved marijuana as a safe
and effective drug for any indication (FDA, 2016). While numerous scholars and organizations have called
for an expansion in research, regulatory restrictions have impeded this effort. ANA recommends additional
scientific research of marijuana and its related cannabinoids in order to guide evidence-based practice for
therapeutic use in patients.
Several states within the U.S. have legalized the use of marijuana for some medical purposes. Despite this,
the United States Supreme Court voted that Congress had the legal authority to criminalize the use of homegrown marijuana even in states where it is legal for therapeutic purposes (Gonzales, 2005). As a result,
patients and families who gain access to or use marijuana for therapeutic purposes in a state that allows for
its use are still at risk for criminal consequences. ANA actively supports patients’ rights to legally and safely
use marijuana and related cannabinoids for therapeutic symptom management, as well as the nurse’s
promotion of quality of life for patients using such therapy.
Previous Position Statements
The nursing profession holds that health is a universal right, which includes access to health care and
education concerning the prevention of health issues (ANA, 2015). ANA has supported providing safe access
to therapeutic marijuana and related cannabinoids for over 20 years. In 1996, ANA’s Congress on Nursing
Practice supported research and education for evidence-based therapeutic uses of marijuana and related
cannabinoids. In addition, the ANA House of Delegates has gone on record as supporting nurses’ advocacy
for patients using marijuana and other related cannabinoids for therapeutic use (ANA, 2003).
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