Medical cannabis has moved from a taboo subject to a mainstream clinical discussion over the past three decades. This review synthesizes the evidence and frames its progression using a Hype Cycle lens, a framework that describes the journey of a new technology from initial enthusiasm to realistic application. Public interest and research output surged in the mid to late-2010s, yet a closer look at the evaluative literature shows that measured clinical benefits are generally modest, vary by product, dose, and population, and are limited by research challenges such as heterogeneity and blinding.
