Medicinal Cannabis: Policy, Patients, and Providers

Medicinal cannabis is legal in some form in 47 states, 3 United States territories, and the District of Columbia. An estimated three million Americans use cannabis for relief of a variety of illnesses, and this figure is expected to grow based on policy changes. However, cannabis remains illegal at the federal level as a Schedule I drug under the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I classification of cannabis has impeded the advancement of research, leaving providers with little evidence-based information to educate their patients. Furthermore, the disparities in individual state laws create significant social and health inequities in gaining access to medicinal cannabis. Conflicting state and federal policies regarding medicinal cannabis create logistical and ethical dilemmas, and all U.S. stakeholders-patients, providers, and health delivery systems-may be impacted by conflicting federal and state policies. This brief addresses the impact of conflicting cannabis policies.