Internists Endorse Access to Medical Marijuana

In a new position paper, the American College of Physicians (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." It also "strongly urges protection from criminal or civil penalties for patients who use medical marijuana as permitted under state laws." The ACP, which represents 124,000 internal medicine specialists and publishes Annals of Internal Medicine, is the second largest physician group in the country. (The American Medical Association claims about 244,000 members, of which some 135,000 are practicing physicians, according to MedPage Today.) The Marijuana Policy Project calls the ACP's position "the most significant organizational endorsement of medical marijuana access in the field of medicine and science."

I discussed such endorsements in November, when the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association unanimously urged the federal government to stop interfering with the medical use of marijuana in states where it's legal.

Comments

[Nick]

If Obama is serious about wanting decriminalization of marijuana, he should use this endorsement of a policy position in debates. When backed by doctors, people tend to accept drug legalization. If it was a High Times endorsement, not so much.

[Michael Pack]

As a drinker of beer and wine ,I don't understand the ban on pot.Alcohol is more dangerous in some people then most illegal drugs.I've never known a pot smoker to start a bar fight either.

[Episiarch]

I kan haz kronic plz doc?

[Mother Batherick]

I tend to agree with you, Nick. I cringe whenever High Times releases a statement of any sort, not because I disagree with it, but because a sizeable chunk of the American population sees them as a bunch of dirty potheads and therefore dismisses their arguments outright.

[Nick]

Mother, same thing goes for anything PETA does. They know nobody likes them, right?

[Mother Batherick]

Yup, sad to say, but it's all about the presentation. You may have a valid point, but if you can't get a foot in the door...

[Kolohe]

Does the postion paper counteract, (or is their anything out their tha directly debunks) the following?: (esp the bolded part?)

DEAR ABBY: You were right to tell "Just Saying No" (Jan. 16) that his pot-smoking classmates could be headed for addiction or other problems. I worry that marijuana poses more risks to teens than they -- or their parents -- recognize. More kids need professional help kicking marijuana than for all other drugs combined. It is not a "harmless" drug.
School failure, which you mentioned, could be only the first of many problems daily pot smokers may experience. Researchers have a long way to go in understanding the complexity of brain function, but we know that illicit drug use changes the developing brain. Many young people smoke pot before their brain development is settled, and their chronic use of the drug can affect certain centers in the brain that control emotion and reason.

Research shows that regular use of marijuana may also lead to mental health problems. Youth who use marijuana weekly have double the risk of depression later in life, and are three times more likely than non-users to have suicidal thoughts. -- MARC GALANTER, M.D., DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

[Nephilium]

Nick:

I at least make sure to eat more meat whenever PETA releases a statement or an ad campaign.

Of course, I also believe you can judge the quality of a meal by the number of animals slaughtered in its preperation.

Nephilium

[Steve Henderson]

This is an absolutely huge endorsement. I'm sure they will ignore this as long as possible.

The democrats need to take the medical issue up and discuss it. Especially now with this big backing.

[Drug Warrior]

DRUGS ARE BAD AND NO AMOUNT OF SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE WILL EVER CHANGE THAT. ONLY LOSERS ABUSE MARIJUANA, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST HARMFUL DRUGS IN THE HISTORY OF HUMANKIND BECAUSE I SAY SO. EVERY MARIJUANA USER MUST BE THROWN IN JAIL, EVEN THE ONES WITH CANCER AND AIDS. I DO NOT FEEL PITY, OR FEAR, OR REMORSE, AND I ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT STOP. EVER.

[Taktix?]

Mitt, is that you?

[Brian Courts]

Does the postion paper counteract, (or is their anything out their tha directly debunks) the following?: (esp the bolded part?)

Why would it? The paper is about the medical use of marijuana by adults, not about giving it to teens for recreational use. Whatever you think about the latter, I don't see why one would need to address it in a paper about the former.

As to the substance, throwing out the following non sequitur doesn't help his case:

Research shows that regular use of marijuana may also lead to mental health problems. Youth who use marijuana weekly have double the risk of depression later in life, and are three times more likely than non-users to have suicidal thoughts.

Sounds like he's making a huge logical leap in assuming cause and effect (which, if anything is probably backwards) to support a his preferred conclusion. Nevertheless, even if he is absolutely correct, it is irrelevant to adult use.

[Episiarch]

MARC GALANTER, M.D., DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

Seeing as his job is seriously bolstered by considering stoners to be super fucked up instead of goofball slackers who eat lots of cheetos, I am not surprised by his position.

[Nick]

"Research shows that regular use of marijuana may also lead to mental health problems."

So, Dr. Galanter, presuming you don't smoke marijuana, what's your fucking excuse for being a retard?

[zig zag man]

"The democrats need to take the medical and racial issue(s) up and discuss it. Especially now with this big backing.

I'll bet those medical doctors will really appreciate having their expert opinions regarded as "misguided" by the ONDCP, et al.

[zig zag man]

"The democrats need to take the medical and racial issue(s) up and discuss it them."

There, fixed for me.

[TallDave]

IIRC, McCain has been in favor of medical marijuana for some time.

[zig zag man]

"IIRC, McCain has been in favor of medical marijuana for some time."

McCain is definitely not in favor of Medical Cannabis.

Link:
http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/11/15/john-mccain-on-medical-marijuana/

FTA:

A questioner named Jonathan (I didn't get his full name) asked, "Should federal law supersede the will of the people in a given state when it comes to medical marijuana?"

McCain started chuckling. "The will of the people, my friend, is that medical marijuana is not something that the quote 'people' want," he responded. "Certain people feel strongly about this issue, and they show up at most town hall meetings, obviously feel very strongly about it. There is no convincing evidence?there's evidence, but no convincing evidence to me that medical marijuana relief of pain and suffering cannot be accomplished by prescriptions from doctors? So, when you're talking about the will of the people, you're going to have to show me the will of the people besides the will of a small number of people who feel very strongly about the issue, as obviously you do."

When McCain starts any response with the words, "My friend..." Get ready for a pile of BS on how you are wrong and suck on it cancer patients.

The questioner mentioned that voters approved of medical marijuana in a California referendum.

"There may be times when the will of the people, for example Iraq, the will of the people, unfortunately is that we withdraw from Iraq immediately or very very soon," McCain shot back. "I don't share that view of the will of the people. And I think the will of the people was that we get out of Korea when Harry Truman was president of the United States, but then he decided to do what he thought was best for the will of the country. Now, I don't compare this issue with Iraq or Korea, but, look, I'll be glad to continue this discussion, and read the stuff about it, but I am not changing my position on quote 'medical marijuana,' okay?"

/drugs are bad mmmkay?

[R C Dean]

This is an absolutely huge endorsement.

Anyone familiar with the internal politics and bone deep conservatism (in a non Red v. Blue sense) of the ACP would agree.

[Ryan]

"The will of the people"? Isn't that a typical thing that would come out of a Democrat's mouth?

Except in the case of the Democrats, it'd be the "will of the people" to rob everyone for a favored group's benefit.

In the case of McCain, it's the "will of the people" to rob everyone in order to faciliate violation of an unfavored group's rights through enforcing illegal and/or unjust laws.

And the Republicans wonder why they are losing when this is the "alternative" they present?

[Nick]

McCain is a fucking nanny-stater if ever there was one.