Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41023724›Full record

ArticleJournal of cannabis research2025

The influence of religion on physicans` and nurses` attitudes toward medical cannabis in Northern Israel.

Loay Zaknoun, Salman Zarka, Ygal Plakht, Orli Grinstein-Cohen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cannabis research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Loay ZaknounNursing Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-5021-760X
Salman ZarkaZiv Medical Center, Safed, Israel.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6429-9342
Ygal PlakhtNursing Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0898-9776
Orli Grinstein-CohenNursing Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. grinstie@bgu.ac.il.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5660-5469

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe use of medical cannabis has been increasing significantly worldwide, including in Israel, a country characterized by substantial religious diversity. This study examines the influence of religion on physicians' and nurses' attitudes toward medical cannabis use, focusing on four primary religions in Northern Israel: Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and the Druze faith.

methodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Ziv Medical Center in Northern Israel, involving 395 physicians and nurses. Participants completed a structured questionnaire based on a modified version of the Medical Marijuana Questionnaire (MMQ), assessing their attitudes toward the medical benefits and risks of cannabis. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA and mixed-design ANCOVA models, controlling for covariates including age, gender, religiosity, profession, educational level, and exposure to cannabis use among acquaintances.

resultsStatistical analyses revealed significant differences in attitudes toward medical cannabis across religious groups. After adjusting for demographic and background variables, Jewish and Christian participants reported significantly more favorable attitudes regarding the medical benefits of cannabis, while Muslim and Druze participants emphasized its associated risks. A significant interaction was also found between religious affiliation and attitude type (benefits vs. risks), indicating that religious affiliation moderated the relative evaluation of cannabis's therapeutic potential versus its harms. These findings suggest that each religion's unique cultural and ethical frameworks shaped participants' attitudes. The more permissive attitudes observed among Jewish and Christian participants reflect religious principles that emphasize alleviating suffering, while the cautious attitudes of Muslim and Druze participants align with stricter interpretations of religious guidelines.

conclusionsThis study identified significant differences in attitudes toward medical cannabis among physicians and nurses from different religious backgrounds in Northern Israel. Jewish and Christian participants expressed more favorable views regarding its medical use, while Muslim and Druze participants exhibited more cautious attitudes. These findings underscore the need for culturally and religiously tailored education and policies to facilitate the integration of medical cannabis into clinical practice.

Indexed as

AttitudesMedical cannabisNursesPhysiciansReligion

Identifiers

PMID41023724
PMCPMC12481866

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.