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In Reply: Dr Das suggests a reasoned way to think about the use of marijuana for medical purposes. My Commentary also offers a regulatory approach based on scientific evidence. It proposes rigorous research of marijuana's safety and effectiveness, using a dose of fixed purity and strength. Regulatory review and clinical judgment would be based on the research data. For pharmaceuticals (such as morphine) that are proven effective but that still can produce undesirable risks and social consequences, there should be additional regulatory control and oversight. That is the proven standard for approval and use of pharmaceuticals, and marijuana should not be an exception.

That approach leaves several critical issues unresolved. First, federal policy actively discourages high-quality research by making access to marijuana by researchers exceedingly difficult. Even when access to marijuana is finally granted, there is substantial variability in the purity and content of the product. Second, researchers need to . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Lawrence O. Gostin, JD, LLD (Hon)
gostin@law.georgetown.edu
Georgetown Law Center
Washington, DC

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