Medical Marijuana: A 2014-2016 Update on Law and Policy for Nurse Practitioners

In October 2014, the article, “Medical Marijuana: A Primer on Ethics, Evidence and Politics,” was published in this journal. The focus of that review was the controversy in the United States surrounding access to marijuana, or cannabis, for the relief of intractable patient symptoms, especially pain. In this article we provide an update on the changing US law and policy in the since that report. We also focus on scope-of-practice and advocacy implications for advanced practice registered nurses. •The American Nurses Association has supported medical marijuana since 1996.•Marijuana is illegal and classified as a Schedule I drug under federal law.•Recent changes in state laws provide increasing access to medical marijuana.•Current efforts address the conflicting federal barriers.•Challenges for nurse practitioners include scope of practice and leadership.