Since the advent of recreational cannabis legalization, cannabis care has been dwindling and addiction rates are soaring. While “medical” cannabis may have opened the door for recreational legalization, medical regulatory systems have never been set up to truly advance the care of patients. Those patients who have gotten medical cannabis treatment do well, those who do not often do not do well. Most patients, however, simply do not get treatment from their PCPs or specialists. This discussion will outline the problems with current medical regulations and describe simple changes that would facilitate proper care of patients.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the shortcomings of current medical cannabis regulations in providing effective patient care.

2. Analyze the impact of recreational cannabis legalization on medical cannabis treatment and addiction rates.

3. Describe simple regulatory changes that could improve patient access to proper cannabis-based medical treatment.