Comparative Analyses of âMedical Marijuanaâ Laws in the United States

Abstract

The medical justification as to the risks and benefits associated with the use of marijuana for medical purposes is not supported by current medical research and state and federal laws in the United States. State endorsed “medical marijuana” currently take the form of a dried plant, cannabis sativa. State laws in favor of legalizing marijuana for medical use fail to incorporate the general legal standards for medical practice and are created absent any uniformed guidelines. These attempts to circumvent federal law lack the support of the medical and legal community as they overlook the standards for safety and effectiveness established by the Food and Drug Administration for medical use. With a growing public demand for marijuana, states have merely attempted to bypass the federal government’s current regulations on marijuana by legalizing such laws.