Introduction/Background:  The legalization of non-medical cannabis increased accessibility for those wanting to explore medical and well-being uses, but many consumers are reluctant to speak to healthcare providers. Legal retail store employees are both unqualified and not legally allowed to provide in-depth health and wellness information to clients. This leaves a gap in the access to in-person delivery of cannabis harm reduction information, which pharmacists may fill if they are adequately trained.

Methods: Seven focus group sessions were held with 22 participants as part of a mixed-methods project and were analyzed using manual coding in conjunction with CoLoop.ai. The semi-structured questions explored what contributes to consumers’ willingness or unwillingness to engage with a pharmacist to support cannabis-related decisions and what might encourage them to seek guidance from pharmacists. Participants were required to be over the age of 18, live in Canada, and have previously consumed cannabis.

Results and Analysis:  Participants ranged in age from 29-75 years of age (M=53.5). Participants cited several barriers to consulting pharmacists, including pharmacists’ perceived lack of knowledge, fear of stigma, the transactional nature of pharmacy interactions, and accessibility and convenience issues. Participants suggested that improving expertise, quality, relevance of information, accessibility, convenience, and reducing stigma could encourage them to seek information from pharmacists.

Conclusions and Implications for Policy, Practice, or Additional Research: The findings highlight the need for enhanced cannabis training for pharmacists and improved accessibility of stigma-free and reliable information for consumers. These insights can inform policy changes, educational initiatives, and further research to support pharmacists in translating cannabis knowledge and best practices to consumers, ultimately enhancing their health and safety.