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This thesis examined the decision-making process of seven physicians from rural Ontario. An interpretivist approach was implemented to assess the challenges that physicians face when considering whether to prescribe medical cannabis to their patients. With its ambiguous status and the lack of research conducted on cannabis, the blurred boundaries between medical and illicit cannabis use produces complications for physicians. The findings suggest that the interviewed participants were highly interested in seeking medical cannabis information from various educational resources including anecdotal evidence from their patients, with minimal influence from personal stigma and bias. One of the participants expressed confidence when prescribing cannabis to their patients while the remaining participants were open-minded and willing to learn more about cannabis, and its effects, to prescribe it in the future. Further comparative studies are required to better understand the challenges of clinical decision-making between rural and urban physicians. |
