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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Institute of Medicine
Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Health

******

Congressional Briefing
Tuesday, March 16, 1999 - 2:00 p.m.
Room H-137 - The Capitol

on

Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base

by

John A. Benson, Jr., Dean and Professor of Medicine, Emeritus, Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine, Portland, Oregon and Co-Principal Investigator, Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base, Institute of Medicine

Stanley J. Watson, Jr., Co-Director and Research Scientist, Mental Health Research Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and Co-Principal Investigator, Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base, Institute of Medicine

A new report from the Institute of Medicine, Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base, examines current knowledge about the medical use of marijuana, reviewing scientific literature on the efficacy of therapeutic uses of marijuana and cannabinoids such as THC. In addition, the report analyzes the biological mechanisms that might underlie potential medical uses of such compounds. Other topics include the effects of marijuana on health and behavior; the adverse effects of marijuana use compared with approved drugs; the efficacy of different delivery systems for marijuana; and whether marijuana use leads to the use of harder drugs.

This briefing was for Members of Congress and Congressional Staff only. The report was publicly released on March 17, 1999 and can be found, in its entirety, on the Web site of the National Academies Press.