Jan. 1997-Mar. 1999 – Institute of Medicine (IOM) Conducts Comprehensive Study on Medical Effects of Marijuana

“In January 1997… the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (the federal drug czar) commissioned the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences to review the scientific evidence on the potential health benefits and risks of marijuana and its constituent cannabinoids. Begun in August 1997, IOM’s 257-page report, Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base, was released in March 1999…

For the most part, the IOM Report straddled the fence and provided sound bites for both sides of the medical marijuana debate… In general, the report emphasized the need for well-formulated, scientific research into the therapeutic effects of marijuana and its cannabinoid components on patients with specific disease conditions.”