Special Access to Medicinal Marijuana for Compassionate Use: Policies and Perspectives in Canada and the US

Medical use of marijuana is legal in only a limited number of countries. Even though the legality of its use for therapeutic purposes is an ongoing political and ethical debate, basic and clinical research in this field has burgeoned in the past two decades alone. Since this topic is a cause célèbre, this article is not another polemic on whether marijuana should be legalized, but focuses on the special access programs for medicinal marijuana use available in the US and Canada. Similarities and differences in policies and perspectives between the two neighboring countries are highlighted.