Former Surgeon General:

MAINSTREAM MEDICINE HAS ENDORSED MEDICAL MARIJUANA

One of America's largest and most important groups of physicians has
moved to cut through the clutter of political controversies over
medical use of marijuana. Lawmakers and the public alike would do well
to pay attention. The American College of Physicians is the largest
medical specialty organization and the second largest physician group
in the United States. Its 124,000 members are doctors specializing in
internal medicine and related subspecialties, including cardiology,
neurology, pulmonary disease, oncology and infectious diseases. The
College publishes Annals of Internal Medicine, the most widely cited
medical specialty journal in the world.

In a landmark position paper released in February, these distinguished
physicians are saying what many of us have been arguing for years:
Most of our laws have gotten it wrong when it comes to medical
marijuana, and it's time for public policy to get in step with science.

Right now, the laws of 38 states and the federal government bar use of
marijuana as a medicine. Federal law classifies marijuana as a
Schedule I drug, defined as having no accepted medical use and being
unsafe for use even under medical supervision.

ACP's position paper urges "reclassification into a more appropriate
schedule, given the scientific evidence regarding marijuana's safety
and efficacy in some clinical conditions." The document goes on to
call for protection of physicians' right to "prescribe or dispense
medical marijuana in accordance with state law" and "strongly urges
protection from civil or criminal penalties for patients who use
medical marijuana as permitted under state laws."

ACP supports its position with 10 pages of scientific documentation
and references. They cite data showing relief of the nausea, vomiting
and wasting that can worsen the misery of cancer, AIDS and other
diseases; of the pain and tremors associated with multiple sclerosis;
and for relief of pain caused by a variety of other conditions. They
note that marijuana in combination with some pharmaceuticals may
produce more benefit than either drug alone.

ACP calls for more research, but then adds a critical point: In some
areas, the efficacy of medical marijuana has already been established,
and it's time for studies designed to determine the best dose and
route of delivery.

The ACP position paper demolishes several myths, starting with the
notion still proclaimed by some politicians that marijuana is unsafe
for medical use. The College notes that the most serious objection to
medical marijuana -- potential harm to the lungs from smoking -- has
largely been solved by a technology called vaporization, already
proven in scientific studies.

The ACP position paper also explains that there is no reason to
believe that protecting medical marijuana patients leads to increased
drug abuse. "Marijuana has not been proven to be the cause or even the
most significant predictor of serious drug abuse," the doctors write.
"Opiates are highly addictive, yet medically effective ... There is no
evidence to suggest that medical use of opiates has increased
perception that their illicit use is safe or acceptable."

This is an historic document. Large medical associations are by their
nature slow, cautious creatures that move only when the evidence is
overwhelming. The evidence is indeed overwhelming that, as ACP put it,
there is "a clear discord" between what research tells us and what our
laws say about medical marijuana.

It appears that voters and lawmakers in a number of states will
consider medical marijuana proposals this year, and Congress will
again be asked to stop federal attempts to interfere with the 12 state
medical marijuana laws already in place. It's time to end that "clear
discord" and put science ahead of politics.