Public Perception and Physician Engagement: A Tale of Two Medicines

While medical cannabis is gaining regulatory approval and patient demand is rising, its full integration into healthcare still faces a significant obstacle: perception. In both Europe and Israel, the public and the medical community are still grappling with the role of cannabis in medicine and how it compares to traditional pharmaceuticals.

Pharmaceuticals: Trusted, Proven, Prescribed

Traditional medications benefit from decades of institutional trust. They are:

• Developed through clinical trials

• Approved by national health authorities

• Reimbursed by insurance

• Backed by education and training for physicians

As a result, both patients and doctors are generally comfortable with prescribing and using conventional drugs. They are seen as scientific, safe, and reliable.

Medical Cannabis: Rising Use, Lingering Stigma

Despite legalization and medical availability, cannabis still carries social and professional baggage, rooted in its history as a recreational and often illicit substance.

🇮🇱 Israel: A Public Leader, A Conservative Profession

• Israel is a global pioneer in medical cannabis R&D, and public acceptance is relatively high.

• However, many doctors remain cautious: they hesitate to prescribe cannabis due to:

  • Lack of formal clinical data

  • Fear of reputational risk

  • Limited training in cannabis therapeutics

• To prescribe cannabis, Israeli physicians must undergo special certification, creating a barrier to mainstream adoption.

🇪🇺 Europe: Cautious Medical Adoption

• In countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK, public support for cannabis has grown, especially among patients seeking relief from chronic pain, anxiety, and neurological conditions.

• Still, many doctors remain skeptical or unfamiliar with cannabis as a legitimate treatment.

• This is partly due to the lack of standardized guidelines, inconsistent product availability, and ongoing regulatory ambiguity.

The Patient-Doctor Disconnect

In many cases, patients are leading the change, not physicians. Patients often:

• Hear anecdotal success stories

• Turn to online communities for guidance

• Seek cannabis when other treatments fail

Meanwhile, doctors may feel ill-equipped to respond. Without official training, clear protocols, or robust evidence, many prefer to stick with conventional medications, even when patients ask for alternatives.

Shifting the Narrative: Education and Evidence

To close the gap between perception and practice, the industry must focus on:

• Medical education: including cannabis in formal training and continuing education programs

• Public health campaigns: separating medical cannabis from recreational use in the public eye

• Clinical data: funding high-quality research that gives physicians confidence

In Israel, efforts are underway to expand physician training and integrate cannabis into more specialties. Similar steps are being taken in Europe — though progress varies by country.

Looking Ahead

As public acceptance of medical cannabis continues to rise, physician engagement is the next frontier. Without it, cannabis risks remaining a niche treatment, one supported by patients but sidelined by healthcare systems.

To fully integrate cannabis into modern medicine, trust, training, and scientific credibility must go hand in hand.