Objective: We aimed to analyse the quality of newspaper articles (NAs) concerning the therapeutic use of cannabis published in Spanish newspapers.
Methods: A preliminary questionnaire of the Index of Scientific Quality was used [scores ranged from 0 (no misleading) to 14 (misinformation in each item)].
Results: Of the 29 NAs analysed, 16 (55.2%) were scored as 4 or lower, and 6 (20.7%) scored 7 or higher. Up to 23 NAs (79.3%) did not manage the knowledge related to cannabinoids; 20 (69%) gave a sensationalist message; 11 (37.9%) were able to wrongly influence clinical decision taking; and 8 (27.6%) misled medical concepts.
Conclusion: The leading medical journals could play an especially relevant role while preparing their press releases if they specify study limitations and context.