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There are currently 2 bills before the Massachusetts legislature-HB 625 and S 1161-which address the medical use of marijuana in the current session; both are favorable to the "medical" use of marijuana. In discussions today at the Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS), it was clear that the MMS, whose member would be at least partially charged with implementing any policy with respect to "medical" marijuana, were disinclined to participate in any implementation of medical marijuana prescribing.
Put simply, the MMS is currently unable to find any recognized medical use of marijuana. While several discussants favored legalization of marijuana in principle, they were unable to find any support in the medical literature for the use of marijuana, despite the widespread belief that it is useful for a variety of painful and/or debilitating conditions. There was support for additional research-and in particular, the MMS may work to encourage the DEA or other federal agencies to move marijuana from Schedule I (which means "high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.") to the less restrictive Schedule II. This would have the effect of making it much easier to do research using marijuana-drugs on Schedule I are generally legally available only to researchers authorized by the DEA or equivalent, and the DEA has historically been reluctant to provide much of these drugs for research purposes.
It was also clear that the member of the MMS were equally reluctant to embrace what has become the dominant federal position, which emphasizes the dangerous nature of marijuana and the risks of any relaxation in the restrictions now in place on its use. Physicians in Massachusetts seem to be clear in their message that before they are willing to embrace the medicalization of marijuana use, they would like to see proof that it works-but they also are willing to listen to evidence that medical uses exist.
News Hawk- Astonr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: examiner.com
Author: Thomas Amoroso
Contact: About Examiner.com Passionate, local writers | Examiner.com
Website: Massachusetts Medical Society unlikely to support medical marijuana initiative - Boston healthcare policy | Examiner.com
Put simply, the MMS is currently unable to find any recognized medical use of marijuana. While several discussants favored legalization of marijuana in principle, they were unable to find any support in the medical literature for the use of marijuana, despite the widespread belief that it is useful for a variety of painful and/or debilitating conditions. There was support for additional research-and in particular, the MMS may work to encourage the DEA or other federal agencies to move marijuana from Schedule I (which means "high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.") to the less restrictive Schedule II. This would have the effect of making it much easier to do research using marijuana-drugs on Schedule I are generally legally available only to researchers authorized by the DEA or equivalent, and the DEA has historically been reluctant to provide much of these drugs for research purposes.
It was also clear that the member of the MMS were equally reluctant to embrace what has become the dominant federal position, which emphasizes the dangerous nature of marijuana and the risks of any relaxation in the restrictions now in place on its use. Physicians in Massachusetts seem to be clear in their message that before they are willing to embrace the medicalization of marijuana use, they would like to see proof that it works-but they also are willing to listen to evidence that medical uses exist.
News Hawk- Astonr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: examiner.com
Author: Thomas Amoroso
Contact: About Examiner.com Passionate, local writers | Examiner.com
Website: Massachusetts Medical Society unlikely to support medical marijuana initiative - Boston healthcare policy | Examiner.com
