Abstract
Cannabis has been used therapeutically for millennia; the legal and social stigmas against it have existed for less than 100years. Currently, some form of medical marijuana is available in almost all of the United States. The most common conditions patients report using medical marijuana for are pain, muscle spasms, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Despite medical cannabis’s apparent safety and efficacy, there are roadblocks in its path to acceptance, since medical cannabis does not conform to many of the standards of traditional Western medicine. Cannabis medicine is not as consistent and replicable as standard pharmaceuticals, and many physicians have not been educated as to its effects and use. However, the use of medical cannabis may itself influence Western medicine, by encouraging healthcare professionals to recognize the complexity inherent in all systems; appreciate the uniqueness of everybody; honor the patient, not the pill; encourage inwardly focused attention; increase the acceptance of whole plant medicine; encourage inquiry into psychedelic drugs; and recognize the importance of critical thinking.