• Natallia Khamenka and Uladzimir Pikirenia.
• Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Belarusian State Medical University Minsk, Belarus. Electronic address: khamenka3@gmail.com.
• Complement Ther Med. 2021 Mar 1; 57: 102670.

AbstractCannabis for medical purposes is prohibited in Belarus. Given that some countries have begun prescribing medical cannabis (MC) to certain categories of patients, a cross-sectional study was undertaken at the Belarusian State Medical University (BSMU) to determine the readiness of medical students to use cannabis in their future practice. 333 students responded to the questionnaire to find out their knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about MC. The data were analyzed using Pearson chi-squared test for categorical variables. Findings show most medical students prepared to recommend MC for patient treatment and believe it has benefits for physical or mental health purposes. The survey respondents believe MC can be effective for treatment -23.5 % for glaucoma to 76.9 % for chronic pain. Study results evidence that 83.1 % of the students receive no formal education about medical cannabis and 87.5 % believe professionals should have formal training about the substance.Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

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