Medical marijuana caught in a standoff

(Delaware Online) Last spring, after the governor signed into law a measure legalizing the possession of marijuana for medical use, cancer patient Diane Jump and hundreds of Delawareans suffering from serious health problems were relieved to know that the drug they had been using to treat the crippling nausea and pain of chemotherapy would not land them in jail.

Doctors, who must consent and write the prescriptions for medical marijuana, are holding back their approval. And the state is locked in a stalemate with the federal government over plans for distributing the drug.

Some physicians say they’re simply not convinced marijuana is an effective treatment for certain conditions, while others worry that they could face legal action if they permit their patients to use the drug, since marijuana remains an illegal substance at the federal level.