Cannabis information-seeking and engagement within the medication use process: The roles of health literacy, stigma, and system-level factors.

BACKGROUND

As cannabis legalization evolves, pharmacists have been identified as potential providers of cannabis-related consultations and distribution. Understanding how consumers navigate cannabis information and engage with healthcare providers is critical to informing pharmacists' roles within the medication use process.

PURPOSE: To examine how cannabis consumers seek and interpret information and to identify factors influencing their engagement with pharmacists for cannabis-related guidance.

METHODS

Canadian adults (≥18 years) who currently or were considering cannabis use participated in semi-structured virtual focus groups. Participants were recruited through email lists and social or professional networks. Seven focus groups were conducted, recorded, transcribed, anonymized, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke.

RESULTS

Twenty-one participants contributed to the focus group discussions. Three interconnected themes characterized engagement with the cannabis medication use process. Health literacy shaped how participants accessed, evaluated, and interpreted information, and assessed credibility. Stigma influenced information-seeking, disclosure, and engagement with healthcare professionals. Engagement with pharmacists was shaped by individual and system-level factors, including perceptions of expertise, role clarity, accessibility, and the absence of pharmacy involvement in cannabis distribution.

CONCLUSION

Consumers' engagement with cannabis-related information and care is shaped by interacting processes of health literacy and stigma, influencing how and from whom information is sought. Engagement with pharmacists is further shaped by perceptions of pharmacist roles and broader system-level factors. Addressing stigma, strengthening pharmacist education, clarifying roles, and integrating pharmacy into cannabis service models may improve access to credible information, and support pharmacists' roles within the cannabis medication use process.