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Pharmacology
Pharmacology
Version 1.0
Audio version available

Medical Marijuana: A Brief Overview

Build nursing competence in assessing, educating, and monitoring patients who use medical cannabis or cannabidiol while accounting for evidence, interactions, safety, and law.

A registered nurse conducts medication reconciliation with an adult patient in a private clinical setting while reviewing a neutral, nonbranded cannabinoid product label and documenting safety information.
Contact hours
3
Format
Self-paced, online
Last reviewed
Sep 19, 2026

$15.00or included with All-Access

$5 per contact hour · 3 contact hours

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  • No post-test required · unlimited retakes · evaluation and attestation always required

Course Purpose

Build nursing competence in assessing, educating, and monitoring patients who use medical cannabis or cannabidiol while accounting for evidence, interactions, safety, and law.

Continuing Education Credit Designation

This educational activity is credited for 3 contact hours at completion of the activity.

Overview

After completing this course, the nurse will be able to distinguish botanical cannabis, cannabidiol, and federally approved cannabinoid medications; evaluate evidence for therapeutic use; and recognize adverse effects, interactions, and high-risk situations. The nurse will also be prepared to obtain a nonjudgmental cannabis history, provide harm-reduction education, monitor outcomes, document objectively, and apply federal, state, facility, and scope-of-practice requirements.

Objectives

Upon completion of this independent study, the learner will be able to:

  1. Explain the pharmacologic actions and clinically relevant differences of tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, and other cannabinoids.
  2. Compare inhaled, oral, oromucosal, and topical cannabis delivery methods by onset, duration, predictability, and risk.
  3. Evaluate current evidence for potential benefits and harms of cannabis or cannabinoids in common clinical situations.
  4. Differentiate federal requirements from variable state medical-cannabis laws and facility policies.
  5. Perform and document a patient-centered assessment of cannabis exposure, treatment goals, contraindications, interactions, and response.
  6. Develop an individualized education and monitoring plan for a patient using cannabis or cannabidiol.

Policy Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the policies of FastCEForLess.com. This course should be used for informational purposes only and should not be used to diagnose, treat, prescribe, recommend, or initiate therapies or treatments in any setting. This course is copyrighted by Fast CE For Less, Inc. and may not be replicated, copied, or dispersed without written consent.

Disclosures

Fast CE For Less, Inc. and its authors have no disclosures. There is no commercial support.

Who this course is for:

Healthcare professionals who want continuing education on Medical Marijuana: A Brief Overview.

Course outline

12 sections · finish in any order across devices

  1. 1

    Introduction

  2. 2

    Marijuana Description

  3. 3

    Delivery Methods

  4. 4

    Benefits, Side Effects, and Laws Regarding Medical Marijuana Use

  5. 5

    Cannabidiol (CBD)

  6. 6

    Benefits, Side Effects, and Laws Regarding CBD Use

  7. 7

    Differences Between Medical Marijuana and Recreational Marijuana

  8. 8

    Dispensaries

  9. 9

    Patients Likely to Use Medical Marijuana

  10. 10

    How Medical Marijuana Is Consumed

  11. 11

    Nursing Considerations

  12. 12

    Conclusion

References

The full reference list is included inside the course, after the Conclusion.

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