American physician group acknowledges medical use of marijuana
In an historic shift, the country's largest physician group, the American Medical Association (AMA), has reversed its long-held position that marijuana has no medical value. The group instead adopted a new policy position on medical marijuana, calling for a review of marijuana's status as a drug with no accepted medical use.
The AMA adopted a report drafted by the AMA Council on Science and Public Health which affirmed the therapeutic benefits of marijuana and called for further research. "Short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis," the report found.
"The AMA urges that marijuana's status as a drug with no accepted medical use be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabis-based medicines" the new policy says.
According to the director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project this shift, coming from what has historically been America's most cautious and conservative major medical organization, is historic. At this moment, there is plenty of data showing that marijuana is both safe and effective for chronic pain and other conditions. It is a shame though that the non-reviewed status of this soft drug has been a major obstacle to needed research for so long.
The AMA lagged behind one of its competitors. In February 2008, the American College of Physicians (ACP), the country's second largest physician group, adopted a resolution calling for an evidence-based review of marijuana's status to determine whether it should be acknowledged as a substance with accepted medical use.
Together with this acknowledgment both organizations have underscored the need for change by placing patients above politics.
From Drug War Chronicle, Issue #608, 11/13/09
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