In an effort to shrink the cannabis knowledge gap, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy announced it will be offering training to prepare alumni for the medical marijuana industry and teaching students about marijuana.
Currently, 29 states have some form of medical marijuana program in place. But most universities and medical schools do not provide any education in cannabis sciences.
According to the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education:
Pharmacy students have a knowledge gap about medical uses and adverse effects of medical marijuana, which may reflect a lack of formal education in their pharmacy curriculum. If the use of marijuana shifts from an illegal substance to a prescribed medicinal agent, pharmacy students and other health care professionals will need education and training to competently address its safe and effective use. … Pharmacy schools need to evaluate the adequacy of medical marijuana education in their courses and consider revising curriculum accordingly.
This is precisely why the University of Maryland — along with a handful of other U.S. universities — are adding cannabis classes to their curriculum.
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“We wanted to be there as a resource,” Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, a pharmacy professor and executive director of the school’s Center for Innovative Pharmacy Solutions, said. “If you’re going to be dispensing, let’s make sure your staff is trained in best practices to do it safely and effectively.”
