Seeing Past the Smoke: Regulatory Considerations for Public Health Research on Commercially Available Cannabis

• January 26, 2024

• David Peloquin , Ropes & Gray LLP
• Beth Weinman , Ropes & Gray LLP
• Helen Ryan , Ropes & Gray LLP

The legal status of cannabis products varies wildly across the United States. For example, a hypothetical journey beginning with a step across the Idaho border from Oregon moves one from a state where marijuana possession and use for both recreational and medical reasons is permissible to another where neither possession nor use of marijuana is legal for any purpose. Venturing further eastward into Montana flips the status of marijuana use and possession back once again to permissible for both recreational and medical use, but a continued journey east into North Dakota limits marijuana’s possession and usage to purely medical purposes. Amidst this backdrop of inconsistent state policies, a trend towards greater enforcement leniency is evident throughout the United States. Recent years have seen a groundswell of states adopting legislation endorsing varying degrees of marijuana legalization and decriminalization.

ARTICLE TAGS

• Academic Medical Centers and Teaching Hospitals Practice Group
• Life Sciences