From the official response:
“To date, however, neither the FDA nor the Institute of Medicine have found smoked marijuana to meet the modern standard for safe or effective medicine for any condition.”
In a 2009 study (your cited ones being from 1999 and 2006), it is found that smoked cannabis “reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve pain in patients with multiple sclerosis”.
Please address marijuana’s potential medical use and why it is being held back. Use the more current 2009 study, and not the more convenient 2006 and 1999 studies, and in addition discuss the difficulties in thoroughly testing it due to illegal status.
2009 Study: http://www.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/csaph/csaph-report3-i09.pdf