Friday, February 22, 2008

Why Having The Top Doctors Association Say "YES" to Medical Marijuana is a Historic Endorsement

The American College Of Physicians is the second biggest doctor's organization in America, consisting of 124,000 physicians. Yesterday the college issued a statement pointing to strong evidence that marijuana is useful in treating AIDS wasting syndrome, glaucoma, and easing side effects from cancer.

Here is a summary of their main argument:

"Position 1: ACP supports programs and funding for rigorous scientific evaluation of the potential therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana and the publication of such findings.

Position 1a: ACP supports increased research for conditions where the efficacy of marijuana has been established to determine optimal dosage and route of delivery.

Position 1b: Medical marijuana research should not only focus on determining drug efficacy and safety but also on determining efficacy in comparison with other available treatments.

Position 2: ACP encourages the use of non-smoked forms of THC that have proven therapeutic value.

Position 3: ACP supports the current process for obtaining federal research-grade cannabis.

Position 4: ACP urges review of marijuana's status as a schedule I controlled substance and its reclassification into a more appropriate schedule, given the scientific evidence regarding marijuana's safety and efficacy in some clinical conditions.

Position 5: ACP strongly supports exemption from federal criminal prosecution; civil liability; or professional sanctioning, such as loss of licensure or credentialing, for physicians who prescribe or dispense medical marijuana in accordance with state law."

The American College Physicians is the first medical organization to outright oppose the governments laws against medical marijuana. This is a historic step towards the medical community's acceptance of marijuana as medicine. The largest medical organization in the United States, the American Medical Association, has lagged behind on the issue, and this will put pressure on them to follow suit.

Original here

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