The Future of Cannabis as Medicine Is Already Here

Cannabis is no longer being discussed solely on the fringes of healthcare.

Across the United States and around the world, nurses, researchers, attorneys, educators, and patient advocates are helping move cannabis into the center of clinical conversations. During the Cannabis Nurses Network – Nurses Week Acceleration Series session, From Plant to Protocol: The Science of Cannabis as Medicine, an extraordinary panel of thought-leaders explored the evolving role of cannabis in healthcare, research, education, spirituality, and patient advocacy.

Hosted by Cannabis Nurses Network founder Heather Manus, RN, HN-BC, HWNC-BC the conversation featured Dr. Lakisha Jenkins-Samuels, Scheril Murray Powell, Esq., and longtime cannabis nursing pioneer Mary Lynn Mathre, RN, MSN, CARN.

Together, they painted a powerful picture of a healthcare system in transition – one where cannabis nursing, botanical medicine, and patient-centered care are becoming increasingly impossible to ignore.

Cannabis Nursing and the Science of Cannabis Medicine

One of the strongest themes throughout the discussion was the growing recognition that cannabis science is fundamentally changing healthcare.

Dr. Lakisha Jenkins-Samuels spoke passionately about the importance of research, botanical medicine, and understanding the body’s endogenous cannabinoid system. She shared insights into her newly acquired research center and her vision for expanding opportunities in cannabis science and integrative healthcare.

For Dr. Jenkins-Samuels, the future of cannabis medicine is deeply connected to restoring respect for plant-based healing traditions while advancing rigorous scientific inquiry.

“There’s a science behind it,” she explained, emphasizing the importance of combining evidence-based practice with holistic approaches to health.

She also highlighted the significance of the federal movement toward Schedule III classification for state-licensed cannabis and the opportunities it may create for expanded credibility, research access, and broader acceptance of botanical medicine within healthcare systems.

The discussion reinforced a growing reality in healthcare: nurses are increasingly being asked to understand cannabis pharmacology, cannabinoid therapeutics, dosing considerations, patient safety, and the endocannabinoid system – even though many still receive little to no formal education on these topics during nursing school.

Bridging the Gap Between Research and Patient Care

For decades, cannabis advocates and educators worked in environments filled with stigma, legal uncertainty, and professional risk.

Mary Lynn Mathre reflected on the long journey of cannabis nursing advocacy and the role that Patients Out of Time conferences played in bringing healthcare professionals, researchers, and patients together long before cannabis education became mainstream.

The panel discussed how conferences and educational spaces helped bridge the knowledge gap between researchers and clinicians at a time when many healthcare providers had nowhere else to learn evidence-informed cannabis science.

Scheril Murray Powell, Esq. described Patients Out of Time as a respected educational environment where physicians, nurses, and experts gathered not only to teach – but to continue learning themselves.

That spirit of collaboration remains central to cannabis nursing today.

As healthcare systems evolve, nurses are increasingly becoming trusted translators between research, policy, and patient care.

The Role of Nurses in Cannabis Education

Another major focus of the conversation was the future of cannabis nursing education.

The panel emphasized that patients are already using cannabis therapeutically for pain management, mental health conditions, chronic illness, sleep, neurological disorders, palliative care, and quality-of-life support.

Yet many healthcare professionals still feel underprepared to discuss cannabis confidently and safely.

This educational gap continues to drive the need for:

• Cannabis nursing education
• Endocannabinoid system education
• Continuing education for nurses
• Evidence-informed cannabis training
• Clinical cannabis competency
• Patient-centered cannabis care models

Cannabis Nurses Network and other nursing organizations continue advocating for cannabis nursing to be integrated into modern nursing education and healthcare training frameworks.

The conversation repeatedly returned to one important truth:

Patients are already asking questions about cannabis. Nurses deserve the education necessary to answer them safely, ethically, and confidently.

Spirituality, Sacramental Cannabis, and Cultural Perspectives

One of the most unique and meaningful moments in the discussion centered around Scheril Murray Powell’s work with Ethiopian and Rastafari communities regarding sacramental cannabis use.

The panel explored the importance of understanding cannabis not only as medicine, but also through cultural, spiritual, and historical lenses.

Scheril Murray Powell and Dr. Lakisha Jenkins-Samuels shared perspectives on working with Rastafari communities and advocating for sacramental and religious cannabis protections.

Their discussion highlighted the importance of honoring Indigenous, spiritual, and ancestral relationships with plant medicine while navigating evolving healthcare and regulatory systems.

The conversation also emphasized that healthcare providers must remain open to learning from communities that have carried knowledge of cannabis healing traditions long before modern healthcare systems acknowledged its value.

Cannabis Rescheduling and the Future of Healthcare

The movement toward federal cannabis rescheduling emerged as another significant topic throughout the discussion.

The panel explored how Schedule III recognition could impact:

• Cannabis research opportunities
• Healthcare integration
• Clinical acceptance
• Nursing education
• Facility-based patient access
• Botanical medicine legitimacy
• Future healthcare policy

For cannabis nurses and healthcare professionals, rescheduling represents a legal change, but it also signals a cultural and clinical shift.

As barriers begin to soften, opportunities are emerging for nurses to play larger roles in cannabis research, patient advocacy, public education, policy development, and healthcare leadership.

Cannabis Nurses Are Helping Shape the Future of Healthcare

Throughout the session, one message remained clear:

The future of cannabis medicine will not be built by policy alone.

It will be shaped by courageous healthcare professionals willing to lead conversations, pursue education, challenge outdated systems, and advocate for compassionate, patient-centered care.

Cannabis nurses are uniquely positioned to help bridge science, holistic healing, clinical care, advocacy, and education.

And as cannabis continues moving into mainstream healthcare, the role of nurses will only become more important.

Cannabis nursing is no longer emerging quietly in the background.

It is becoming a recognized force in the evolution of healthcare.

About Cannabis Nurses Network

Cannabis Nurses Network empowers nurses through cannabis nursing education, advocacy, leadership, and community.

Through continuing education programs, live learning experiences, research discussions, and professional networking, Cannabis Nurses Network supports nurses navigating the rapidly evolving world of cannabis healthcare.

Learn more about:

• Cannabis Nursing Education
• Endocannabinoid System Training
• Cannabis Continuing Education for Nurses
• Cannabis Healthcare Policy
• Cannabis Research and Clinical Practice
• Cannabis Nurse Leadership Opportunities