title: Clearing the smoke around medical marijuana.
abstract: The hazy world of "medical marijuana" continues to cry out for clear data on which to base medical decision making and rational policy design. In this issue of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Abrams and colleagues report that vaporized cannabis does not meaningfully affect opioid plasma levels and may even augment the efficacy of oxycodone and morphine in patients with chronic non-cancer pain. This Commentary considers the implications of this work for clinical practice and further research initiatives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. mark.ware@muhc.mcgill.ca
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ware
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010098:Oxycodone / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009020:Morphine; D013759:Dronabinol; D010098:Oxycodone