First published online April 4, 2017, at Annals.org, this "Ideas and Opinions" article with Dr. John Williams as co-author now appears in the May 16, 2017, issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. The publication is entitled: "What We Do (and Don't) Know About the Health Effects of Cannabis and Whether Marijuana Is Medicine". In the article, the team discusses the increasing rates of Cannabis and Marijuana use around the country, both for recreational and medical use, and why internists need to be familiar with the scientific evidence about the benefits and harms of the products in order to advise their patients.
Even with the drastic changes in use over the years, there is still limited evidence about its potential health and therapeutic effects. "To address this rising public health issue, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released its third comprehensive review of the literature surrounding the health effects of cannabis." The authors then summarized the group's key findings in an effort to "educate physicians on the most relevant health outcomes of cannabis use and potential therapeutic indications for cannabis and cannabinoid products."
Read the full article on the Annals of Internal Medicine site, here.
For more about William's participation on the US Federal Advisory Panel, charged with submitting the report, click here for our previous eNews Highlight.
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John Williams, MD, MHS, is a Professor of Medicine and primary care internist who is trained in epidemiology, biostatistics, and literature synthesis. Dr. Williams’ topical interests include depression, mental health services, dementia and implementation of best practices.
Read more about Dr. WIlliams in this faculty spotlight. Follow him on Twitter @jwileyj