Action Needed to Advance Medical Use of Cannabis
November 7, 2025
In yet another example of how cannabis may offer medical benefits, researchers have found that long-term, low doses of its active compound can mitigate harmful side effects of antiretroviral therapy in people with HIV. But a “complex web” of federal and state policies limits medical use of cannabis, Symone T. Griffith, Marisa L. Kreider, and Maxwell C. K. Leung maintain in Issues. “What’s urgently needed,” they write, “is a coordinated approach to reorganize the roles of the federal government and academia; to develop national standards for product safety and cannabis production; and to train physicians—all while prioritizing patient well-being.”