Trust in healthcare, dispensary, and online information sources about cannabis

Background Cannabis consumers and patients may be referencing non-medical and non-governmental sources for information about cannabis.Methods We conducted an online survey in 2024 with n = 1,023 adults in the United States who used cannabis in the past month, assessing trust in seven sources for information about cannabis.Results We found that dispensary staff were the most trusted (Mean = 3.7; range = 1,5), followed by friends (3.5) and healthcare providers (3.4), while other sources were less trusted (2.6-2.9). When specifically prompted about medical use of cannabis, more than half the sample (55%) selected healthcare providers as their most trusted source. When prompted about having fun and relaxing or avoiding unwanted effects, dispensary staff were most often selected as the most trusted source (47% and 39%, respectively). In adjusted multinomial logistic regression, participants who used cannabis for medical reasons were significantly more likely to select dispensary staff (AOR = 3.00) or someone else (AOR = 1.90) instead of healthcare providers.Conclusion Findings indicate that trust in cannabis information sources depends on motivation for use. And, for many who use cannabis, dispensary staff are a more trusted source of information than healthcare providers, indicating a need for integration of cannabis core competencies and minimum knowledge standards into healthcare provider education.