So far there is little solid scientific data to support those claims. Rock said his department will fund clinical trials at several sites, initially using marijuana supplied by the U.S. National Institute of Drug Abuse. He said he has received 30 applications from individuals wishing to use marijuana for medical purposes, and will process them quickly. The Health Department is also negotiating with a British firm to test a non-smoked form of marijuana, which is ingested using an inhaler. Despite the new openness on medical usage of marijuana, federal laws against the drug remain in force and are applied, resulting in many convictions every year.
Critics charge the laws are applied unevenly, with low-income youth the main enforcement target.
Currently, marijuana is not approved for medical use in any country. Only a few clinical trials have been done, and they've been inconclusive.