Twenty-eight states and the nations capital allow for the legal use of medical marijuana . The drug is legal for recreational use in eight states and Washington, D.C. But with a new administration in office signaling a crackdown on recreational use, including an attorney general personally opposed to the drug, states are gearing up for a marijuana war.

While medical marijuana has been scientifically proved to ease pain, but the jury is still out on the drugs other health benefits. A recent study conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health professor Marie McCormick, found as much.

Ryan Grim, Washington bureau chief for The Huffington Post, will be joined by McCormick and other policy and research experts for a panel discussion on marijuanas health benefits and legalization.

The Forum at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health will be streamed live right here at 12:30 p.m. ET. Grim will host a live question-and-answer session on the Forums Facebook page at 11 a.m. ET, live here .