Introduction Marijuana or cannabis is a crude drug extracted from cannabis sativa plant. This drug, which is illegal in most parts of the world, has a key component in referred to as delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol chemical abbreviated as THC (Connolly, p.8). This chemical has medicinal properties; however, it also causes ‘highness’ hence the reason why it is taken for pleasure. However, abuse of the drug can result to serious consequence, thus calling for the strict regulation of its distribution and taking. Generally, marijuana is taken through smoking of dried leaves of the plant. Some of the consequences of cannabis abuse include compulsive addiction, hallucination, impaired memory, or other fatal health conditions. Medical cannabis is the use of cannabis and its constituents to treat health complications. Countries that have enacted the use of cannabis in medicine include Canada, and the Netherlands (Congress, p.14686). There is a conflicting difference on the legal regulation of medical cannabis at Federal and State government levels. Primarily, at State level, medical cannabis is outlawed but at the Federal level, it is enacted and legalized. THC chemical has medicinal characteristics, making physicians to recon that marijuana has the medicinal value than any other plant. In most cases, doctors mainly recommend marijuana for anti-emetic, antispasmodic, and anticonvulsant (Burns, p.125). However, the right amount of dosage to be given to patient is still a subject of discussion in the medical field. In the United States of America, nine states have legalized the use of marijuana by health practitioners (Congress, p.14686). The policy problem Description of the problem Policies governing medical marijuana have various problems: firstly, there are conflicting policies in both the federal and state levels of governance. This conflict causes a state of dilemma for patients, caregivers and medical practitioners (Abood, p.174). The federal government has the constitutional authority to prohibit marijuana for all purposes and does not recognize the medical purpose of marijuana. Thus, “federal law enforcement officials may prosecute medical marijuana patients, even if they grow their own medicine and even if they reside in a state where medical marijuana use is protected under state law” (Rushefsky, p.296). In some states where medical marijuana is decriminalized, the maximum amount of marijuana one can possess is not defined. Therefore, there are cases where qualified persons have been arrested for possessing large amount of marijuana (Abood, p.174). Moreover, the policies are not clear on matters of production of marijuana, i.e. patients can grow their own marijuana for therapeutic purposes. Causes of the problem The rise of this problem is mainly brought about by the debate on the effectiveness of marijuana in medical interventions (Burns, p.125). There are no solid evidence and data proving the effectiveness of use of medical marijuana. Besides, other medicines can treat illness that medical marijuana treats. Moreover, decriminalizing medical marijuana in United States may result in easier trafficking of the drug hence increase abuse potential. Finally, it is argued that the use of marijuana in medicine is also not safe (Burns, p.125). Current policy At the federal lev