Doctors Seek Right to Discuss Marijuana

DALLAS (Reuters), Dec. 9, 1997 The American Medical Association, the
influential group representing U.S. doctors, Tuesday proposed that doctors
be allowed to discuss with their patients the potential benefits of using
marijuana to treat some diseases without risk of criminal charges.

Delegates at the AMA's semiannual policy making committee in Dallas
approved a resolution that recommends allowing free discussion between
doctors and patients about marijuana use for treatment of diseases such as
AIDS and multiple sclerosis.

"The AMA believes that effective patient care requires the free and
unfettered exchange of information on treatment alternatives and that
discussion of these alternatives between physicians and patients should not
subject either party to criminal sanctions," the resolution said.

It also recommended that "adequate and well controlled studies of smoked
marijuana" be carried out to measure the possible benefits for patients
suffering a range of serious illnesses or injuries.

Those listed included AIDS, wasting syndrome, multiple sclerosis, spinal
cord injury and neuropathic pain.

But the AMA delegates made no recommendation on whether doctors should
actually be allowed to advise their patients to use marijuana, or whether
medicinal marijuana use should be legalized.

John Nelson, a member of the AMA's board of trustees, said there was still
no clear scientific evidence showing that marijuana does help such patients
and urged further research.

He said the AMA, which represents more than 40 percent of the 675,000
doctors in the United States, would push for legalization of marijuana for
medicinal purposes if and when there was conclusive proof it was beneficial.

"If it were ever proven, we would be very vocal in trying to change the law.
Until that time, we will not," he said.

Advocates of medicinal marijuana applauded the AMA's move but said it did
not go far enough.

"It is a tremendous step in the right direction but it doesn't address those
other issues," said Chuck Thomas of a Washington based group called
Marijuana Policy Project.

REUTERS