The medicinal use of cannabis and cannabinoid research are contentious issues that are able to stir up strong feelings, both for and against the proposals. Some US states have passed laws that allow doctors to recommend cannabis (marijuana) for therapeutic use in certain medical conditions although the federal government has reminded doctors that the material remains an illegal narcotic under federal law.*The Pharmaceutical Sciences Group of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain together with the Multiple Sclerosis Society, recently hosted a meeting on the therapeutic applications of cannabinoids to review evidence for their medical use [London, UK; July 1997]. This meeting took place only a few days after the British Medical Association (BMA) received wide publicity by voting at its annual meeting in Edinburgh to legalise cannabis use.