American College Of Physicians Backs Cannabis Medicine

[Guest guest]

American College of Physicians backs cannabis medicine

 

Backing from the largest group of internal medicine doctors in the

United States is about to throw the global marijuana debate into

disarray as the American College of Physicians calls on federal

government to change its stance on cannabis.

 

The ACP is a national organization of internists — physicians who

specialize in the prevention, detection and treatment of illnesses in

adults. ACP is the largest medical-specialty organization and second-

largest physician group in the United States, with over 124,000

doctors as members.

 

In a 13-page position paper approved by the college's governing board

of regents

 

and posted Thursday on the group's Web site, the ACP calls on the

government to drop marijuana from Schedule I, a classification it

shares with illegal drugs such as heroin and LSD that are considered

to have no medicinal value and a high likelihood of abuse.

 

The declaration is bound to put pressure on the agencies who apply

and enforce the draconian laws on cannabis, who have constantly

rejected attempts to bring cannabis out of the closet and into the

mainstream.

 

Its also likely the ACP calls could have a bearing on the cannabis

reclassification argument which prevails in the United Kingdom.

 

Bush administration officials have aggressively rebuffed all attempts

in Congress, the courts and among law-enforcement organizations to

legitimize marijuana for medical use, even though a dozen US states

(so far) have already legalized medical marijuana.

 

Researchers say the federal government has resisted calls for a full

study in to the potential medical benefits of cannabis, instead

concentrating on pouring money into looking at, and publicising only

its negative effects. A singularly one sided representation.

 

The ACP position paper calls for protection of both doctors and

patients from criminal and civil penalties in states that have

adopted medical-marijuana laws.

 

According to Dr.David Dale, a University of Washington medical

professor and president of the ACP, " We felt the time had come to

speak up about this. "

 

" We'd like to clear up the uncertainty and anxiety of patients and

physicians over this drug. "

 

Medical-marijuana advocates embraced the position paper as a

watershed event that could help turn the battle in their favor.

 

Bruce Mirken, a San Francisco spokesman for the Marijuana Policy

Project, said the ACP position is " an earthquake that's going to

rattle the whole medical marijuana debate. " The ACP, he

said, " pulverized the government's two favorite myths about medical

marijuana — that it's not supported by the medical community and that

science hasn't shown marijuana to have any medical value. "

 

 

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