American College of Physicians Endorses Medical Marijuana

[99th_Monkey]

Source: OpEdNews

American College of Physicians Endorses Medical Marijuana
Sunday, April 20, 2008 by: Adam Miller

(NaturalNews) Transcending political controversy and stigma surrounding the subject, the second largest physician group in the country has endorsed the use, reclassification, and further study of medicinal marijuana. In a position paper issued February 14th, the American College of Physicians (ACP) makes the case that the red tape surrounding the medical use of cannabis has obscured good science for too long.

Several states including California have opened the door for legal use of medical marijuana, but this stands in opposition to the federal government's Schedule I classification of the plant. This discontinuity has led to legal obfuscation and obscurity as to what really is legal. Schedule I is a term used to describe drugs such as LSD and heroin, and translates to a substance having "no accepted medical use and being unsafe for use even under medical supervision."

With their newly defined position, ACP now joins the ranks of dozens of other national medical groups urging an ease on cannabis regulation in the face of what many consider overwhelming scientific evidence of its medicinal usefulness. "ACP urges review of marijuana's status as a Schedule I controlled substance and reclassification into a more appropriate schedule, given the scientific evidence regarding marijuana's safety and efficacy in some clinical conditions," the paper states.

Supporters hope that this will be the long-awaited nudge needed to tip the American Medical Association (AMA) in favor of reclassification and legal protection for medical use of the drug. The AMA urges further research, but so far it does not support reclassification of the Schedule I substance.

To date, the most serious argument for potential damage done by cannabis is harm to the lungs caused by smoking. The paper notes that this problem has already been overcome by a technology known as vaporization, in which the active constituents are efficiently released into the lungs without burning the plant.


Read more: http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/linkframe.php?linkid=57470

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Legalize it!

[Happyhippychick]

1. Dude, they were totally hemped when they said that!

Alright seriously - I think it's a good thing. Glaucoma runs in my family and MM has great therapeutic benefits in it's treatment.

[OKthatsIT]

12. It cures cancer, too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjhT9282-Tw

It's being suppressed for PHARMA.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

2. I've been endorsing it for almost fifty years. Oh wait I'm not a

doctor.

[XemaSab]

3. What an appropriate article for today!

:)

[StrictlyRockers]

4. Happy 4/20!! Anymore good news for us MMJ patients?

[defendandprotect]

5. Legalize it and put the thugs out of business . . .

and I mean the elite thugs who trade in drugs and profit from it as they profit from gold, oil and other natural resources ---

[pleah]

6. K&R! It should be legal period!

:smoke:

[Q3JR4]

7. I agree. n/t.

[customerserviceguy]

8. While I absolutely do NOT expect

any Democratic Presidential candidate to address the issue, I will expect a Democratic President to take steps to make sure marijuana is a Federally allowable prescribable drug that can be used to alleviate the suffering of millions. It's way past time that we shucked the 'reefer madness' approach to cannabis.

[TriggerGal]

9. NATURAL NEWS !!!

http://www.naturalnews.com

[ms liberty]

10. K&R. About time. n/t

[OKthatsIT]

11. Check this out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjhT9282-Tw

[knitter4democracy]

13. Of course they did.

I know many doctors who are for it. Hubby is--he's had cancer patients who've kept their nausea at bay during chemo with pot, and he'd tried everything else first.

[ColbertWatcher]

14. Woo hoo!

Dude, the college guys said, the American doctor guys...the American doctor college guys said pot...pot was...dude...pot...wait, what?

[Canuckistanian]

15. There was no medical reason to ban it in the first place

Harry Anslinger didn't like it because Mexicans and Blacks used it.

[Fumesucker]

16. Why does the American College of Physicians hate America?

[OKthatsIT]

17. PHARMA could ruin any of their reputations

...most Foundations are sponsored by corporate funds. Most AMA NGOs are funded by Pharma.