DEAR DR. ROACH: I live in a large community. More and more of my peers are using THC gummies sold over the counter at smoke shops as a substitute for smoking marijuana. Are there any studies being conducted on the safety of imbibing these small amounts of THC? Also, are there any studies being conducted on other drug interactions when imbibing these small amounts of THC? — K.B.
ANSWER: The question of whether cannabis is safe and effective for treatment of many medical conditions is largely open-ended, although there is strong evidence that purified cannabis extracts (especially cannabidiol or CBD, a nonpsychoactive component of cannabis) are successful with some types of epilepsy. Cannabis may be smoked, vaped or consumed. As you say, many users are turning to edibles for both recreational and medicinal use. There are many forms of edibles, not just “gummies.”