Medical students and marijuana, attitudes and beliefs: A comparative study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Various studies indicating that cannabis is associated with various psychiatric disorders despite which is a controversy existing regarding the legalisation of cannabis by all the promoters and consumers of the substance. Our objective was to find out the knowledge and awareness among the 1st year and final year medical students toward the effects and experiences with the consumption of cannabis. Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study done on first and final year medical students between July 2019 and August 2019 in Sri Devaraj Urs higher education and research center, who are assessed using a structured and validated instrument, Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire-Brief (MEEQ-B) questionnaire. Results: Both the first-year and final-year medical students in our study had poor awareness and inadequate knowledge about the various adverse effects of cannabis, especially on all the six parameters of the MEEQ questionnaire. Conclusion: Extensive and elaborative teaching regarding substance use, especially of cannabis and its implication must be updated in the curriculum of both UG teaching and PG teaching in other specialities as well.

Keywords

• awareness and knowledge
• cannabis
• 1st-year and final-year students