Whither Medical Marijuana?

Abstract

Given the very limited toxicity of cannabis and its increasingly acknowledged therapeutic value, it will undoubtedly find increasing application as a medicine in the coming years. But there is uncertainty about the forms in which it will be made available. Governments are unlikely to approve it because of concern about its use for nonmedical purposes and the difficulties of distributing as a medicine a substance that is already easily available. An alternative is the development of commercial cannabis pharmaceuticals that can be regulated and controlled, but pharmaceutical firms will be reluctant to invest the necessary money if they believe they cannot compete successfully with marijuana. Although some of these products may have advantages over whole smoked or ingested marijuana, most will not, and they will all be quite expensive. Ultimately, we can anticipate two medical distribution networks: a legal one for cannabinoid pharmaceuticals and an illegal one for street or homegrown marijuana.