Interest in medical cannabis in the United States has increased rapidly in the past 5 years, and now it is legal in 29 states and the District of Columbia. The evidence base to support the use of medical cannabis has developed too, albeit more slowly. For instance, there have been numerous randomized clinical trials that have evaluated the effectiveness of smoked or vaporized cannabis, as well as targeted trials of its principal cannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and cannabidiol (CBD).¹ Some of the strongest evidence is for neuropathic pain, spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, and anorexia in the setting of serious illness. On the other hand, other common conditions for which cannabis is often used, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, so far have very little evidence of benefit.

在过去的5年中，美国对医用大麻的兴趣迅速增加，现在在29个州和哥伦比亚特区是合法的。支持医用大麻使用的证据基础也已经发展，尽管进展较慢。例如，有许多随机临床试验评估了熏制或汽化大麻的有效性，以及针对其主要大麻素，四氢大麻酚（THC）和大麻二酚（CBD）的针对性试验。¹一些最有力的证据是神经性疼痛，与多发性硬化症相关的痉挛和严重疾病情况下的厌食症。另一方面，迄今为止，经常使用大麻的其他常见疾病（如创伤后应激障碍）几乎没有受益的证据。