What is a Cannabis Nurse? - Cannabis Nursing Overview

A tincture bottle labeled with a marijuana leaf being handed to a nurse

Did you know that healthcare professionals widely prescribed marijuana in the United States until the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 prohibited its use?

Although still illegal at the federal level, cannabis is making a comeback, with 91 percent of Americans supporting the medicinal use of marijuana, over 90 percent supporting the decriminalization of marijuana, and 60 percent supporting legalization for recreational use.

Since marijuana has been considered a Schedule I drug since 1970, the DEA limits the number of licenses to perform clinical cannabis research. However, numerous scholars and organizations, including the American Nurses Association (ANA), call for the expansion of cannabis research. The ANA believes research on marijuana and its related cannabinoids is urgent to guide evidence-based practices for therapeutic use in patients. Furthermore, the ANA supports patients’ rights to legally and safely use marijuana and associated cannabinoids for therapeutic symptom management and recently recognized cannabis nursing as a legitimate specialty.

What Is a Cannabis Nurse?

Cannabis nurses have a deep understanding of current cannabis research and offer patients guidance on using cannabis as part of treatment plans. Marijuana nurses typically don’t perform direct patient care, such as monitoring vital signs and administering medications. However, they advocate for patients, counsel patients regarding the safe use of medical cannabis, and may collaborate with other healthcare providers to plan, dose, and assess patients’ responses to cannabis.

To perform this role safely and effectively, cannabis nurses must be knowledgeable about the endocannabinoid system, possible side effects of marijuana, potential drug interactions, and cannabis-assisted disease management.

The following are some therapeutic properties widely associated with cannabis:

It alleviates chronic pain and has anti-inflammatory properties.
It eases spasticity due to multiple sclerosis.
It relieves intraocular pressure from glaucoma.
It has anti-convulsant properties.
It improves sleep.
It increases appetite in HIV patients.
It reduces nausea and other side effects of chemotherapy/cancer care.
It has anti-tumor effects.
It acts as a bronchodilator.
It has antibiotic properties.
It decreases symptoms of anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and psychosis.
It disrupts memory, which assists in the treatment of substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

What Makes a Cannabis Nurse Different from a Registered Nurse?

Cannabis nursing is one of many specialties registered nurses can pursue. However, cannabis nursing is not limited to RNs. Licensed practical or vocational nurses (LPNs/LVNs) can work as cannabis nurses, as well as nurse practitioners (NPs).

Where Can You Practice as a Cannabis Nurse in the US?

Where cannabis nurses can practice depends on the legal status of marijuana in each state since the use and possession of marijuana is still illegal under US federal law. The below lists detail where cannabis is recreationally and medically legal, medically legal only, available with restrictions, and fully illegal.

In Which States Is Cannabis Legal?

Since 2012, when Colorado and Washington legalized the recreational use of marijuana, many more states have followed suit. As of February 2024, there are 24 states where cannabis is legal, in addition to Washington D.C., Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands. The following are states where marijuana is fully legal:

Where Is Medical Cannabis Legal?

Other 14 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes:

Alabama
Arkansas
Florida
Hawaii
Kentucky (The law will take effect on January 1, 2025.)
Louisiana
Mississippi
New Hampshire
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Utah
West Virginia

Which States Limit Access to Cannabis?

The following states allow limited access to cannabis products that contain little to no THC, such as CBD oil.

Where Is Cannabis Illegal?

Finally, cannabis nurses cannot safely or legally practice in the following states in which marijuana is entirely illegal.

Idaho
Kansas
Nebraska (Decriminalized)
North Carolina (Decriminalized)
South Carolina
Wyoming

Even if you live in a state where cannabis is legal, refer to the Medical Marijuana Program (MMP) in your state to ensure you remain within your scope of practice. MMPs are the official legislative resources for the use of medical marijuana in each state and typically provide information regarding the following:

Whether cannabis nursing is legal in your state and to what extent
Which cannabidiol products are legal in your state
Updates such as monthly allotment of medical marijuana for registered medical marijuana patients
Requirements and instructions for obtaining a medical marijuana certificate
Requirements and instructions for becoming a primary caregiver for a qualifying cannabis patient
Other resources

Cannabis Fast Facts: How Accessible Is Marijuana in the US?

The legal status of marijuana is directly related to the availability of cannabis in a state, although there are some surprising statistics:

Seventy-six percent of dispensaries (businesses that sell cannabis products) are in states that have legalized the recreational use of marijuana.
Twenty-three percent of dispensaries are in medical marijuana-only states.
Oklahoma and Florida are among the top five states with the most dispensaries, although these states only allow marijuana for medical use.
One percent of dispensaries are in states that allow low-percentage THC or CBD-only products. Half of all residents of these states live in counties with at least one dispensary.
Fifty-four percent of Americans live in states where the recreational use of marijuana is legal.
Seventy-four percent of Americans live in states where marijuana is legal for either recreational or medical use.
Seventy-nine percent of Americans live in counties with at least one cannabis dispensary.
The US has nearly 15,000 cannabis dispensaries. These businesses are common on the West Coast, Northeast, and interior states, including Michigan, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
California alone has 3,659 dispensaries, and 99.5 percent of Californians have dispensaries in their counties. Los Angeles County alone has more dispensaries (1,481) than any state besides California.
Oklahoma has 36 dispensaries for every 100,000 residents—the most cannabis dispensaries per person of any state.

Types of Cannabis Nursing Jobs and Average Nurse Salary

As legalization of and access to cannabis steadily increase, so do cannabis nurse jobs. Assuming you live in a state where cannabis is legal for either recreational or medicinal purposes, you may be able to find jobs in the following settings:

Cannabis Dispensaries

Dispensaries need cannabis nurses to help patients choose cannabis products and find the right strain for their needs. Cannabis nurses also provide education on using marijuana medicinally, including doses and possible side effects. Based on our research, dispensary nurses typically earn the lowest average salaries among cannabis nurses, ranging from approximately $50,000 to $70,000 per year. Considering this average salary range, it is unlikely that a nurse practitioner would be interested in a cannabis dispensary job.

Hospitals

Cannabis nurses working in hospitals inform patients about cannabis and its medical uses, advocate for patients using medical marijuana, and provide patients and family members with support. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following are average wages for nurses working in hospital jobs:

LPNs/LVNs in hospitals: $55,380–$60,420
RNs in hospitals: $94,440–$98,220
NPs in hospitals: $115,790–$118,330

Consulting Practices

Nurse consultants typically are registered nurses or advanced practice registered nurses who are experts in a particular specialty of nursing—in this case, cannabis nursing. They may contribute to professional development or patient education by developing and suggesting continuing education programs for nurses, educating patients on cannabis products and their therapeutic effects, and promoting safe cannabis use.

According to the National Nurses in Business Association, full-time nurse consultants earn approximately $125,000 annually. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, this average is higher than the mean annual wages for both registered nurses ($94,480) and nurse practitioners ($111,840).

Next, learn how to become a dispensary nurse or a cannabis nurse in other settings.

How to Become a Cannabis Nurse

Anyone interested in becoming a cannabis nurse must first obtain a nursing license. An aspiring nurse must complete a nursing program relative to the level of licensure they would like to pursue: a one-year practical or vocational program to become an LPN/LVN, a two-to-four-year RN program to become a registered nurse, or a master’s or doctorate program to become an NP. After completing a nursing program, a candidate must pass the respective National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN for practical or vocational nurses or NCLEX-RN for registered nurses) and meet state licensing requirements.

Although the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) published The NCSBN National Nursing Guidelines for Medical Marijuana in 2018, outlining the six principles of essential knowledge related to cannabis therapeutics, most nursing programs are still not teaching these guidelines. In fact, Clark and Parmelee (2021) reported that only 7 percent of nursing students had received formal cannabis education in their nursing programs; most students’ knowledge came from media sources.

Since cannabis is still categorized as a Schedule I drug, nursing schools must monitor, enforce, and sanction any student or faculty member who violates the 1989 Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act. In other words, it is still illegal at the federal level to teach nursing students about cannabis therapies. If nursing schools did so, they could lose financial assistance from the U.S. Secretary of Education.

Cannabis Nurse Certification

In summary, aspiring cannabis nurses must still find specialty training and certification through unofficial channels, although this situation may change soon.

In September 2023, the American Nurses Association recognized cannabis nursing as a specialty. Furthermore, the American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA) is working toward creating credentialing pathways for cannabis nurses. Many members of the ACNA hold advanced degrees, some of which are even cannabis-focused. They are knowledgeable about the current cannabis research, and many have witnessed first-hand the positive effects of using medical cannabis to treat patients.

The American Cannabis Nurses Association offers membership for professional nurses, nursing students, retired nurses, and supporters. Through membership, nurses can access webinars, free continuing education units (CEUs), private discussion groups, discounts on annual conferences and events, and opportunities to get involved in cannabis nursing and advocate for patients and the nursing profession, among other benefits.

Other cannabis nursing certification options include the following:

The Society of Cannabis Clinicians offers the Cannabis Nurse Health Coach Certificate Program.
The Integrative Nurse Coach Academy offers the Cannabis Nursing – CannyNurse® Certificate Program for LPNs/LVNs, RNs, and NPs.
The Cannabis Nurses Network offers education and professional advancement opportunities for cannabis nurses and licensed medical professionals around the world. The network has programs that count toward continuing education units for nurses, including Essential Knowledge for ECS Care (16 hrs), A Revolution in Healthcare (14 hrs), Rooted in Science. Nourished by Knowledge (16 hrs), and Legal and Medical Considerations for Cannabis Use in the Clinical Setting (1.5 hrs).

Are There PRN Jobs for Cannabis Nurses?

Nursa does not currently offer nurses PRN cannabis jobs. However, RNs, LPNs/LVNs, and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) can browse available PRN shifts in diverse healthcare settings on the Nursa platform.

Is Becoming a Cannabis Nurse Your Next Career Step?

If you are interested in cannabis nursing, your next step could be to get this year’s CEUs in this topic. The more you learn about cannabis and this new nursing specialty, the clearer your path will be.

Don’t see yourself as a cannabis nurse? Then, learn about other nursing specialties to find your ideal career path. You may also want to explore other nursing-related topics on the Nursa blog.

Sources: