Marijuana as a treatment for epilepsy and multiple sclerosis?

Indian hemp, when pure and administered carefully, is one of the most valuable medicines we possess. —Queen Victoria’s personal physician1

The use of cannabis (marijuana) for medical purposes dates back almost five millennia. Western medicine publicly advocated marijuana’s medicinal properties in the mid-1800s; by the beginning of the 20th century, numerous articles in the medical literature recommended its use for a variety of disorders, including multiple neurologic conditions. The compound was available “over the counter” in pharmacies across the United States at that time.2 Cannabis remained on US formularies until 1941. It was removed only after Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which severely hampered physicians from prescribing it.2 Currently in the United States, the drug is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, thus criminalizing the use of this pharmaceutical agent.

In the United States, there have been numerous challenges to the laws that pertain to cannabis use for medical purposes. These challenges have resulted in 10 states allowing an exemption from criminal penalties for defined patients who possess and use medical marijuana under physician supervision. Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, …