Medicinal Cannabis for Chronic Pain Provider Decision Tree
Patient with Chronic Pain
NO
YES
Other Evaluation
and Referral
Tried Standard Tx
NO
YES
Consider Standard
Tx
Good Response to
Standard Tx
NO
YES
Willing to Consider
Medicinal
Cannabis
NO
Continue Standard
Tx
YES
Contraindications
prohibit use?
NO
YES
Patient Education: Side Effects,
Interactions, and Safety
Coordinate with Appropriate Substance Abuse or
Psychiatric Resource
Begin Treatment: Treatment Plan,
Mode of Administration, Dosing
Risk/Benefit
Risk/Benefit
Monitor for Efficacy, Side Effects,
Favorable,
Misuse
Coordinated Care
Unfavorable, Not a
Candidate
Adapted from Grant I, Atkinson JH, Gouaux B, Wilsey B. Medical marijuana: clearing away the smoke. Open Neurol J 2012;6:18-25. Free
online: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3358713/pdf/TONEUJ-6-18.pdf