Carolyn Buppert, MSN, JD
A patient asks an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) to approve them for "medical marijuana." What are the clinician's responsibilities?
The first hurdle is legal. In 18 states, an APRN has the legal authority to certify a patient to use marijuana as a medical treatment. But it's not as simple as signing a form. There are requirements about the nature of the patient-provider relationship — that it be "bona fide," which state law defines — as well as requirements regarding the clinician's credentials, such as the precertification evaluation, the diagnoses that qualify, the written certification, renewal, and more.
Tracy A. Klein, PhD, ARNP
In this article, we identify the legal responsibilities of APRNs related to medical marijuana, provide the questions for clinicians to answer before getting involved, and direct the reader to the laws of each state that govern the certification process. First, some notes about terminology. Although the term "cannabis" is the proper botanical term, half of the state statutes use the term "marijuana," so these terms will be used interchangeably as appropriate. Many states' laws refer to APRNs, some refer to advanced registered nurse practitioners (NPs), some to simply NPs, and one (Colorado's) to advanced practice practitioners. We will use the term "APRN." In addition, most states use the term "certify" to refer to authorizing the use of medical marijuana, but some states use "recommend," "verify," or "authorize." We will use "certify."
