1222 Who Prescribes Cannabis for Sleep? A Cross-Sectional Study of Prescriber’s Training, Knowledge, and Beliefs

Abstract Introduction There is limited knowledge about what guides prescribing practices for cannabis due to the lack of formal clinical guidelines. This study describes physicians who recommend medical cannabis specifically for sleep issues, offering insight into factors that may influence real-world practice. Methods We recruited a national sample of cannabis prescribers via the Society of Cannabis Clinicians (SCC) website. Prescribers were emailed about the study, including a Qualtrics survey link, with up to 3 reminders between April-May 2024. Participants received a $10 Amazon gift card for completing the survey. The survey assessed formal education, information sources, self-rated knowledge, and beliefs about cannabis and sleep, scored on Likert scales from 1 (strongly disagree/not knowledgeable) to 5 (strongly agree/extremely knowledgeable). Descriptive statistics were analyzed using SAS 9.4. Results Our sample (n=18) included 8 men and 10 women, and 83.3% identified as white; all were over 35 years old and 50% were over 65. Prescribers represented a range of specialties, most commonly Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Internal Medicine, and were from 11 states with 50% practicing in the Southern US. None reported formal cannabis training during medical school or residency. Instead, most utilize online CME (94.4%), conferences (88.8%) or the SCC website (83.3%) for education. Respondents rated themselves highly knowledgeable of the endocannabinoid system (Mean ±Standard Deviation (M±SD) 3.9 ± 0.8) and cannabinoid properties (M±SD 4.0 ± 0.8) but reported lower familiarity with sleep-wake disorders (M±SD 3.0 ± 0.7). Although none was a Sleep Medicine specialist, participants reported high confidence in recommending cannabis for sleep (M±SD 4.6 ± 0.6). Participants strongly agreed cannabis is effective for improving sleep quality (M±SD 4.4 ± 0.5) and duration (M±SD 4.2 ± 0.6), and for reducing sleep latency (M±SD 4.1 ± 1.2). Conclusion These findings suggest that cannabis prescribers come from varied medical specialties, have minimal formal clinical training in cannabis or sleep medicine, rely on various sources for education, and have positive beliefs about the effectiveness of cannabis for sleep. Further characterization of cannabis prescribers will highlight opportunities for sleep medicine specialists to help shape formal prescriber education and promote evidence-based care for sleep disorders. Support (if any) 2022 SRSF Small Research Grant