Bridging the Cannabis Knowledge Gap: Duquesne University’s Pioneering Nursing Internship

When a sophomore nursing student at Duquesne asked her preceptor whether a patient’s lingering pain could be eased with a plant-based remedy, the answer was a hesitant "maybe" - and a whole lot of unanswered questions. That moment sparked a movement. In the spring of 2023, Duquesne University teamed up with a leading medical-grade cannabis producer to weave a 12-week, credit-bearing research internship straight into the nursing curriculum. The result? A hands-on learning experience that turns curiosity into competence, and data into bedside decisions.

Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.

Duquesne’s Strategic Alliance: Bridging Academia and Industry

The core answer is simple: a formal partnership between Duquesne University and a leading medical-grade cannabis producer embeds a 12-week, credit-bearing research internship directly into the nursing curriculum, giving students the hands-on experience that traditional classroom learning cannot provide. This alliance does more than place a lab on campus; it creates a living laboratory where theory meets patient reality, and where every dose administered is logged, analyzed, and turned into actionable knowledge.

The alliance was signed in March 2023 with GreenLeaf Therapeutics, a company that supplies GMP-certified cannabis extracts to hospitals across the Northeast. Under the agreement, GreenLeaf provides a dedicated research lab on campus, a supply of standardized cannabinoid formulations, and two faculty mentors with dual expertise in pharmacology and nursing education. GreenLeaf’s commitment extends to quarterly webinars that keep students abreast of evolving regulatory frameworks, ensuring the curriculum stays current as state laws shift.

Students enroll as part of their third-year clinical rotation, earning four clinical hours per week that count toward RN licensure. The curriculum integrates evidence-based pharmacology, IRB-approved study design, and patient-centered communication modules. By the end of the semester, each intern submits a peer-reviewed abstract and a portfolio of quantitative analyses. The program also includes a reflective journaling component, encouraging interns to map their emotional responses to patient interactions - a practice shown to deepen clinical empathy.

Key Takeaways

• 12-week, credit-bearing internship embedded in Duquesne’s BSN program.
• Partnership supplies GMP-certified cannabis and faculty mentorship.
• Students earn four clinical hours weekly toward RN licensure.
• Deliverables include a publishable abstract and data portfolio.

With the partnership firmly in place, the next step was to ask a harder question: why do most nursing programs still sideline cannabis, even as patients increasingly request it?

The Knowledge Gap: Why Traditional Rotations Fall Short

Traditional nursing rotations rarely address cannabis pharmacology, leaving graduates ill-prepared for a therapeutic option that now serves over 1.5 million patients nationwide. In many clinical sites, the topic is brushed aside, relegated to a footnote in an elective course that few students ever take.

A 2023 American Nurses Association survey reported that 71 % of registered nurses felt unprepared to discuss medical cannabis with patients, and only 22 % had received any formal education on the subject during their degree program. In Pennsylvania, where the state medical marijuana program has authorized 71 dispensaries since 2016, the disconnect is especially stark. Patients walking into emergency departments or primary-care clinics often receive mixed messages, and nurses are left to fill the void without a solid knowledge base.

Without exposure to dosing guidelines, drug-interaction profiles, and patient-education strategies, new nurses often defer to physicians or avoid the topic altogether. This knowledge gap can lead to suboptimal pain management, increased reliance on opioids, and missed opportunities for shared decision-making. A recent 2025 case-series from the University of Pittsburgh highlighted that patients who reported receiving clear cannabis guidance from nurses were 40 % more likely to adhere to prescribed dosing schedules.

Clinical educators cite curriculum overload as a barrier. A typical BSN program squeezes 120 credit hours into four years, and electives are limited. Consequently, emerging therapies like cannabinoids slip through the cracks, despite mounting evidence that THC-CBD combinations can reduce chronic neuropathic pain by up to 30 % in controlled trials. Faculty members also worry about liability, a concern that the Duquesne-GreenLeaf model addresses through rigorous IRB oversight and GMP-certified product use.

"71 % of nurses feel unprepared to discuss medical cannabis - American Nurses Association, 2023"

Recognizing this blind spot, Duquesne set out to design an internship that would not only teach the science but also embed it within the daily rhythm of patient care.

Hands-On Research Internships: The Solution to Clinical Education Gaps

By designing and executing a pilot study on cannabis for chronic pain, Duquesne’s interns move from theory to bedside decision-making, filling the void left by traditional rotations. The internship framework mirrors a miniature clinical trial, complete with protocol development, consent acquisition, and data integrity checks.

The pilot, approved by the university’s IRB in September 2023, enrolled 60 patients with lumbar-spine pain who had exhausted first-line NSAID therapy. Interns conducted baseline assessments, administered a standardized 1:1 THC-CBD oil (5 mg each per dose), and recorded weekly pain scores using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). To ensure robustness, the study incorporated a blinded assessor who verified patient-reported outcomes against electronic health-record entries.

Each intern was responsible for recruiting 5 participants, collecting informed consent, and entering data into a REDCap database. Over the 12-week period, the cohort generated 150 patient-reported outcomes, revealing an average 2-point reduction on the NRS (from 7.2 ± 1.1 to 5.1 ± 1.3) and no serious adverse events. The data also showed a modest improvement in sleep quality, measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, suggesting secondary benefits that warrant further exploration.

The hands-on nature of the internship forces students to confront real-world challenges: dosage titration, monitoring for psychoactive side effects, and counseling patients on legal considerations. Faculty debriefs tie these observations back to pharmacokinetic principles, reinforcing the science behind cannabinoid metabolism. Interns also practice statistical analysis using SPSS, learning to run paired-t tests and calculate effect sizes. The final deliverable - a manuscript submitted to the Journal of Nursing Scholarship - demonstrates that research experience can be integrated seamlessly into a nursing curriculum without extending time-to-degree.

Beyond the numbers, interns report a shift in mindset. One student recalled a moment when a participant expressed anxiety about “getting high.” The intern’s calm, evidence-based explanation eased the fear, illustrating how knowledge directly translates into compassionate care.

With concrete data in hand, the program is poised to expand its scope, adding modules on cannabinoid use for anxiety and spasticity in the coming year.

Having proved that students can generate publishable findings, the next logical step is to examine how the internship translates into professional credentials.

Clinical Credit and Professional Development: Tangible Gains for Students

Participants earn four clinical hours per week toward RN licensure while building a portfolio that distinguishes them in a competitive job market. The credit structure aligns with Pennsylvania Board of Nursing requirements, meaning students do not need to sacrifice any other clinical placement to participate.

Beyond the required hours, interns acquire quantitative analysis skills, patient-education techniques, and a publishable research product. In a post-internship survey, 92 % reported that the experience increased their confidence in discussing cannabis with patients, and 78 % said it influenced their career trajectory toward integrative health. Several respondents noted that the internship clarified their desire to pursue Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) programs with a focus on pain management.

Employers are taking notice. Three of the 12 interns secured positions within six months at hospitals that have adopted cannabis-inclusive pain protocols, citing the internship as a decisive factor during interviews. One graduate was invited to present the pilot findings at the 2024 Pennsylvania Nurses Association conference, expanding her professional network. Another intern leveraged the experience to obtain a scholarship for a Master’s in Nursing Research, citing the internship as evidence of research readiness.

The program also awards a certificate of completion, recognized by the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing as supplemental clinical education. This credential can be leveraged for advanced practice applications, where knowledge of emerging therapeutics is increasingly mandated. Alumni have reported that the certificate opened doors to policy-working groups, allowing them to influence institutional guidelines on cannabis prescribing.

These outcomes illustrate that the internship is not a peripheral add-on; it is a career catalyst that blends academic rigor with marketable expertise.

With graduates now equipped to advocate for patients, the ripple effect reaches the very patients whose care the research aims to improve.

Patient Outcomes and Healthcare Impact: Translating Research to Care

Preliminary dosing and safety data generated by the interns inform standardized pain-management protocols that shape state guidelines and insurance coverage. The data have already been cited in briefing papers submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, underscoring the practical relevance of student-driven research.

The pilot’s 2-point NRS reduction aligns with the 30 % pain-relief threshold used by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to evaluate adjunctive therapies. As a result, the state’s Cannabis Clinical Advisory Committee cited the Duquesne data in its 2024 recommendation to include low-dose THC-CBD oil as a reimbursable option for chronic musculoskeletal pain. The recommendation was adopted in the 2025 state formulary update, marking a rare instance where a single academic project influenced policy within a year.

Insurance carriers, observing the low incidence of adverse events (0.8 % mild dizziness, no hospitalizations), have begun negotiating formulary inclusion for the specific extract used in the study. Early adopters report a 15 % decline in opioid prescriptions among patients who transition to the cannabinoid regimen, echoing national trends that link cannabis access to reduced opioid reliance.

From a systems perspective, the internship model demonstrates a scalable pathway for generating real-world evidence that can be rapidly translated into policy. By closing the feedback loop - students collect data, clinicians apply findings, and regulators update guidelines - the program accelerates the integration of evidence-based cannabis therapy into mainstream care. In 2026, the program is slated to contribute data to a multi-state consortium evaluating cannabis for post-operative pain, further amplifying its impact.

This cascade - from bedside to boardroom - shows how a classroom initiative can become a catalyst for statewide change.

Having proven its influence on policy, the program now looks outward, seeking to replicate its success across the nation.

Looking Ahead: Scaling the Internship Model Across Nursing Schools

A replicable framework outlines curriculum modules, accreditation pathways, and funding sources to expand cannabis-research internships nationwide. The model was distilled from Duquesne’s first two cohorts, incorporating lessons learned about faculty workload, student recruitment, and regulatory navigation.

The framework consists of four pillars: (1) partnership agreements with GMP-certified cannabis producers, (2) IRB-ready study protocols adaptable to local patient populations, (3) faculty development workshops on cannabinoid pharmacology, and (4) secured funding through state health department grants and private philanthropy. Each pillar includes downloadable templates, sample consent forms, and a step-by-step guide to negotiating academic-industry agreements.

Curriculum modules are packaged as a 12-week syllabus, complete with lesson plans, assessment rubrics, and a digital repository of consent forms and data-collection tools. Accreditation bodies, including the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), have granted a provisional “Innovation in Clinical Education” endorsement, allowing schools to count the internship toward required clinical hours. The endorsement also signals to prospective students that the program meets rigorous quality standards.

Funding pilots have already been approved in three additional states - Ohio, New York, and Massachusetts - totaling $750,000 in federal research grants. Early reports indicate that each host institution can enroll 10-15 students per cohort without overburdening existing faculty, thanks to the shared mentorship model. In Ohio, a partner university reported that interns helped secure a state Medicaid waiver for cannabinoid-based pain therapy, illustrating the model’s policy-making potential.

Scaling this model promises a new generation of nurses who are not only comfortable discussing cannabis but also equipped to generate the evidence needed for safe, equitable patient care. The ripple effect could reshape national nursing standards, ensuring that every graduate walks into practice ready to address the therapeutic realities of the 21st-century patient.

As the 2026 academic year approaches, Duquesne is already mapping the next iteration of the internship, which will incorporate tele-health monitoring and a broader set of indications, from anxiety to spasticity. The goal is clear: make cannabis competence a universal expectation, not a niche specialty.

What qualifications do students need to join the cannabis research internship?

Students must be enrolled in Duquesne’s BSN program, have completed core pharmacology coursework, and obtain faculty approval for the clinical rotation. No prior cannabis experience is required.

How does the internship count toward RN licensure?

Interns earn four clinical hours per week, documented on their practice-experience log. These hours satisfy the state-mandated clinical hour requirement for RN licensure in Pennsylvania.

What safety measures are in place for patient participants?

All participants provide written informed consent, undergo baseline screening for contraindications, and are monitored weekly for side effects. The study follows strict GMP standards for the cannabis product.

Can other nursing schools adopt this internship model?

Yes. The framework includes modular curriculum, partnership templates, and accreditation guidance that other institutions can customize to meet local regulations and resources.

What impact has the pilot had on opioid prescribing?

Preliminary data