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Review
. 2024 Jan 1;138(1):31-41.
doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000006301. Epub 2023 Dec 15.

Legal and Regulatory Aspects of Medical Cannabis in the United States

Genewoo Hong  1   2 , Alexandra Sideris  1 , Seth Waldman  1   2 , Joe Stauffer  3   4 , Christopher L Wu  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Legal and Regulatory Aspects of Medical Cannabis in the United States

Genewoo Hong et al. Anesth Analg. .

Abstract

Federal and state laws in the United States governing the use of cannabis are rapidly evolving. Under federal law, marijuana and its derivatives remain schedule I, defined as substances having no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Hemp and its derivatives, in contrast, have been removed from schedule I. At the state level, a majority of states have passed laws legalizing cannabis in some form, although these laws vary from state to state in terms of the extent to which use is permitted, approved medical uses, and the types of regulation placed on commercial activity and quality control. This inconsistency has contributed to uncertainty among medical providers and their patients. In this review, we provide a brief account of the evolution and current state of federal and state laws and regulatory agencies involved in overseeing medical cannabis use in the United States.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. State Medical Cannabis Laws. National Conferences State Legislatures. Updated February 3, 2022. Accessed February 22, 2022. https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-medical-marijuana-laws.aspx .
    1. The Editors of Encyclopaedia. Encyclopedia Britannica “cannabis.” 2022. Accessed March 1, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/plant/cannabis-plant .
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    1. Agricultural Marketing Act, 7 USC 1621 (1946).
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