PURPOSE The pharmacology, therapeutic uses, safety, drug-drug interactions, and drug-disease interactions of medical marijuana are reviewed, and the legal issues related to its use and the implications of medical marijuana for the pharmacist are presented. SUMMARY Marijuana contains more than 460 active chemicals and over 60 unique cannabinoids. The legal landscape surrounding marijuana is su...

This technical report updates the 2004 American Academy of Pediatrics technical report on the legalization of marijuana. Current epidemiology of marijuana use is presented, as are definitions and biology of marijuana compounds, side effects of marijuana use, and effects of use on adolescent brain development. Issues concerning medical marijuana specifically are also addressed. Concerning legali...

BACKGROUND There are 43 state medical marijuana programs in the USA, yet limited evidence is available on the demographic characteristics of the patient population accessing these programs. Moreover, insights into the social and structural barriers that inform patients' success in accessing medical marijuana are limited. A current gap in the scientific literature exists regarding generalizable ...

In The Lancet Psychiatry, Deborah Hasin and colleagues review the relationship between US state medical marijuana laws and adolescent use of marijuana. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug, both worldwide and in the USA, where around 19·8 million Americans use it per month. Although millions use it for recreational or medicinal purposes, the risks of regular use, including cognitive...

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have passed laws that allow individuals to use marijuana for medical purposes. In this paper, I use marijuana possession arrests and treatment referrals by medical professionals to estimate the impact of medical marijuana laws on marijuana usage among non-patients. I find that these laws increase marijuana arrests among adult males by about 20%. The...