ASA in the News

Americans for Safe Access, a national nonprofit dedicated to ensuring safe and legal access to medical cannabis for therapeutic use and research, and TheAnswerPage, an international resource for providing accredited continuing medical education since 1998, on Thursday launched Cannabis Care Certification (CCC), an online program designed to provide quality information about medical cannabis to individuals who are starting or considering cannabis therapy, and healthcare professionals looking to learn about the endocannabinoid system and medical cannabis.

View more about the Cannabis Care Certification program at: www.CannabisCareCertification.org.

Cannabis Care Certification’s Patient & Caregiver Education Program provides quality information to individuals who are starting or considering cannabis therapeutics and offers guidance for family members, caregivers, and anyone interested in medical cannabis. The program features 2-hours of video education addressing dosage, titration, labeling of cannabis therapeutics, transporting medical cannabis, medical cannabis in your life, and more. Those who sign up for the Patient & Caregiver Program also receive a free legal overview and list of requirements for participating in their state Medical Cannabis Program, and those who complete the program receive a Cannabis Care Patient and Caregiver Certification.

Medical Professional Education Program features a comprehensive, in-depth introduction from the endocannabinoid system to the therapeutic use of cannabis in multiple disease states. The content, and its presentation, are designed to be of educational value and interest to those new to medical cannabis therapy, as well as for those with years of experience in this area of clinical practice. Successful completion of the Medical Professional Program culminates in the healthcare professional being awarded a “Cannabis Care Certification,” CME credits, patient education subscription, and an option to be listed on the referral section of the CCC website.

Cannabis Care Certification's Companies and Organizations Program can be customized for industry partners looking to enhance patient and medical professional education. Courses and lectures can also be created to address the needs of any institution, company, or organization. The program also features online tools that reference state-specific medical cannabis laws, rules and regulations.

“Presently, most healthcare providers do not have access to comprehensive quality education on the endocannabinoid system and medical cannabis,” said Stephen B. Corn, MD, a specialist with over 30 years of experience in anesthesiology, perioperative, and pain medicine. “Whether or not doctors or other healthcare professionals have any intention of recommending medical cannabis for patient care, they all need to be well educated in this clinical area because their patients will be seeking their expert advice and guidance for this medication. Further, some patients may already be utilizing medical cannabis and doctors and other healthcare providers will need to be aware of the physiological effects of cannabis as well as potential drug interactions and side effects. As such, expertise in medical cannabis will be necessary for most doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals,” Dr. Corn noted.

“Medical professionals hold the key to patients having access to medical cannabis,” said Steph Sherer, executive director of Americans for Safe Access. “We could have not found a better partner than TheAnswerPage to create a program to provide unbiased accredited educational content aimed so that healthcare providers can best address their patients’ questions and needs related to medical cannabis. Cannabis Care Certification is the only resource of its kind that educates patients and their healthcare providers in an effort to optimize the safety and quality of medical cannabis therapy.”