Take the Lead: Advocate for Medical Cannabis Training in Your State

Kelsey Engvik MBA

Written by
July 07, 2026

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Take the Lead: Advocate for Medical Cannabis Training in Your State

Many states require doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to take special training courses before they can recommend medical cannabis to patients. However, the quality of these required courses varies wildly. Some courses focus on outdated laws or retail business tips rather than real clinical practice and evidence. 

Some states require no cannabinoid medicine training at all.

You can change this. 

Speak to Your Cannabis Regulators and Medical Bodies

By speaking up, you can tell leaders in your state to adopt top-tier, science-backed clinical education. ACS’ courses have already been recognized by several states as the best courses available. Here is why this local push is so urgent, and exactly how you can make a difference:

  1. Your voice matters to lawmakers, regulators, and medical boards.

  2. By citing the acceptance of Association of Cannabinoid Specialists’ evidence-based curriculum, you can influence the addition of ACS’s courses for clinicians in your state.

  3. As more states approve ACS’ courses, patients will feel more confident about the care they receive and legitimacy of cannabis as a medicine.

Why State Officials Need to Hear from You

State legislatures and medical regulatory boards hold the keys to healthcare standards. They decide which Continuing Medical Education (CME) course(s) count toward a professional's license requirements.

When you ask them to officially approve the ACS curriculum, you are opening the door to important benefits:

  • Top Medical Standards: ACS treats cannabis like real medicine, focusing on real evidence and the best standards for patient care.

  • Safer for Patients: Healthcare workers will learn to apply the ACS curriculum directly to their patients, such as how cannabis interacts with other prescription drugs or how to diagnose and treat a patient with a cannabis misuse issue.

  • Trusted Resources: Professionals gain access to peer-reviewed tools like the ACS Introduction to Cannabinoid Medicine CME Course, which includes how to dose cannabis medicine effectively for a variety of conditions.

4 Simple Steps to Run a Local Campaign

How do you support efforts to educate, advocate, and promote evidence-based cannabinoid medicine? How can you support the mission of ACS as an individual?

  1. Reach Out: Contact your state lawmakers and your state's medical board. Need help finding who to contact? Email [email protected] and we can help!

  2. Highlight the Solution: Let them know that ACS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit built by leading cannabis physicians who prioritize patient safety and evidence-based medicine.

  3. Share the Evidence: Direct them to the ACS Course Catalog, which lists available training on critical medical topics like anesthesia interactions, testing, and clinical safety. Make it known that ACS has a 3-hour Introduction to Cannabinoid Medicine course with CME AMA PRA Category 1™ Credit, other advanced courses, and more courses on the way!

  4. Keep it Brief: Lawmakers receive hundreds of messages. A short note explaining how improved training will protect patients in your home state is the most effective approach.

  5. Feel free to CC us, or forward any responses you receive, to [email protected]

As Easy as Copy, Paste, and Send: Email Template

You can copy the text below, fill in the blanks, and email it directly to your state representatives or local medical boards. Let us know if you have any questions, and thank you for supporting patient care and clinician education! 

Thank you for supporting evidence-based education for clinicians, lawmakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders.

 

 

Subject: CME course: Bridging Cannabis Science & Patient Safety

Dear [Name of Lawmaker or Board Member],

As your constituent, I am writing to ask that our state enhance its medical cannabis program by improving the educational standards required for healthcare professionals.

Currently, many available courses do not focus enough on clinical, evidence-based science. To ensure patient safety and benefits, our state needs to approve trusted, physician-led education.

I urge you to officially add the curriculum developed by the Association of Cannabinoid Specialists (ACS) to our state's approved training curriculum. Their Introduction to Cannabinoid Medicine course offers AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and focuses on clinical data, dosing safety, best practices, and patient care.

You can view their full educational standards and course outlines at https://cannaspecialists.thinkific.com or reach out directly to [email protected] to assess the course at no charge.

Thank you for your time and your dedication to keeping patients safe.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your City, State]