Public policy on cannabis is changing rapidly as several states have legalized the drug for medical and recreational use even though its possession, use, and distribution remain illegal under federal law.

In 2008, the American College of Physicians (ACP) published “Supporting Research into the Therapeutic Role of Marijuana, which offered recommendations to better understand the health effects and potential medical use of cannabis. In a 2017 position paper, the College called for “research on the individual and public health effects in states that have legalized or decriminalized the use of marijuana and the effectiveness of regulatory structures in those states that may minimize any adverse health effects, especially on children and adolescents.” The current position paper considers the complicated legal status of cannabis, its potential therapeutic uses, and its negative health effects and offers recommendations to policymakers on adopting a public health approach to prevent and control adverse cannabis-related health outcomes. It also calls for additional research into the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis and cannabinoids and policies to correct injustices resulting from drug control policies that have unfairly affected systemically marginalized racial and ethnic populations.

Regulatory Framework for Cannabis: A Position Paper from the American College of Physicians | Annals of Internal Medicine (acpjournals.org)