By Ian Stewart, Lori Semlies and Jordan Montet (June 5, 2018, 3:18 PM EDT) -- The Medical Board of California has recently issued updated guidelines for physicians to avoid disciplinary action related to the recommendation of cannabis to their patients for medical purposes. The board explicitly states that these guidelines are not intended to mandate the standard of care, and that the board "recognizes that deviations from these guidelines may occur and may be appropriate depending upon the unique needs of individual patients." These guidelines, and similar guidelines by other states, however, serve as the foundation for an emerging standard of care for medical cannabis. In legal terms, the standard of care is how similarly qualified practitioners would have managed the patient's care under the same or similar circumstances. As medical cannabis becomes more widespread and accepted as a legitimate treatment by the medical community, a uniform standard is needed to ensure consistency of care and patient safety....