What We Do (and Don't) Know About the Health Effects of Cannabis and Whether Marijuana Is Medicine
Authors: Sachin Patel, John W. Williams Jr., Robert B. Wallace
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2017)

Ideas and Opinions16 May 2017What We Do (and Don't) Know About the Health Effects of Cannabis and Whether Marijuana Is MedicineSachin Patel, MD, PhD, John W. Williams Jr., MD, MHS, and Robert B. Wallace, MDSachin Patel, MD, PhDFrom Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Duke University and Center of Innovation for Health Services Research in Primary Care at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; and University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.Search for more papers by this author, John W. Williams Jr., MD, MHSFrom Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Duke University and Center of Innovation for Health Services Research in Primary Care at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; and University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.Search for more papers by this author, and Robert B. Wallace, MDFrom Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Duke University and Center of Innovation for Health Services Research in Primary Care at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; and University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M17-0501 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail The political and cultural landscapes surrounding the therapeutic and recreational use of cannabis and related products have changed dramatically in the past decade. In contradistinction to federal law, 28 states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for medicinal use; moreover, recreational use is legal in 7 states and the District of Columbia. Indeed, cannabis use in the general population increased 45% between 2007 and 2014, and 22.2 million Americans aged 12 years or older reported using cannabis in the past month (1). Given the increasing rates of use, internists must be familiar with the scientific evidence regarding the ...References1. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. Behavioral Health Trends in the United States: Results from the 2014 National Surey on Drug Use and Health. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2015. HHS publication no. SMA 15-4927, NSDUH series H-50. Google Scholar2. Borodovsky JT, Crosier BS, Lee DC, Sargent JD, Budney AJ. Smoking, vaping, eating: is legalization impacting the way people use cannabis? Int J Drug Policy. 2016;36:141-7. [PMID: 26992484] doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.02.022 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research. Washington, DC: National Academies Pr; 2017. doi:10.17226/24625 CrossrefGoogle Scholar4. Belendiuk KA, Baldini LL, Bonn-Miller MO. Narrative review of the safety and efficacy of marijuana for the treatment of commonly state-approved medical and psychiatric disorders. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2015;10:10. [PMID: 25896576] doi:10.1186/s13722-015-0032-7 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. National Conference of State Legislatures. State medical marijuana laws. 2016. Accessed at www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-medical-marijuana-laws.aspx on 17 November 2016. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Duke University and Center of Innovation for Health Services Research in Primary Care at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; and University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.Disclosures: Dr. Patel reports grants from H. Lundbeck A/S outside the submitted work. Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M17-0501.Corresponding Author: Sachin Patel, MD, PhD, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, 1601 23rd Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232; e-mail, Sachin.[email protected]edu.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Patel: Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, 1601 23rd Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232.Dr. Williams: Duke University School of Medicine, 411 West Chapel Hill Street, Suite 500, Durham, NC 27701.Dr. Wallace: University of Iowa College of Public Health, 145 Riverside Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242.Author Contributions: Conception and design: S. Patel, J.W. Williams.Analysis and interpretation of the data: S. Patel, J.W. Williams, R.B. Wallace.Drafting of the article: S. Patel.Critical revision for important intellectual content: S. Patel, J.W. Williams, R.B. Wallace.Final approval of the article: S. Patel, J.W. Williams, R.B. Wallace.Collection and assembly of data: S. Patel, J.W. Williams, R.B. Wallace.This article was published at Annals.org on 4 April 2017. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byChanges in cannabis use according to socioeconomic status among Finnish adolescents from 2000 to 2015 16 May 2017Volume 166, Issue 10Page: 747-748KeywordsCannabinoidsCannabisCannabis useClinical epidemiologyGlaucomaHead and neck cancersLung and intrathoracic tumorsPrevention, policy, and public healthPsychiatry and mental healthResearch funding ePublished: 4 April 2017 Issue Published: 16 May 2017 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2017 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...