Medical pot a dilemma for nurses, staff

BRIGHTON, England, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Any drug use, including medical marijuana, should be put into patients' medical records but British researchers say there is a lot of reluctance to do so.

Dr. Anita Green, a nurse consultant for the Sussex Partnership National Health Service Foundation Trust and the University of Brighton, and colleagues say medical marijuana is often obtained illegally and that can have consequences for those who use it -- and create dilemmas for nurses and other healthcare professionals who care for them.

For the review, published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing, the researchers studied more than 50 published papers, including professional and government guidance documents, reports and media coverage from 1996 to 2009.

"The literature on the medicinal use of cannabis (marijuana) repeatedly refers to changes that could improve people's quality of life, like improved sleep, a better appetite and reduced depression and these perceived benefits have led to greater usage. However, it also states that far more research is needed and it is very important that patients are fully aware of the legal consequences of taking cannabis, together with the physical and psychological effects it may have on them," Green says in a statement.

"It is also vital that the patient's cannabis use is accurately documented in their records and that other professionals, such as pharmacists, doctors and substance misuse teams are brought in to provide advice, with their permission."