Pubdate: Tue, 01 Nov 2011
Source: Sacramento Bee (CA)
Copyright: 2011 The Sacramento Bee
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/0n4cG7L1
Website: http://www.sacbee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/376
Author: Paul R. Phinney
Note: Dr. Paul R. Phinney is the California Medical Association
president-elect.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

PATIENT SAFETY IS PRIORITY IN MEDICAL POT POLICY

Recently, the California Medical Association, representing more than 
35,000 physicians, the largest statewide physician organization in 
America, boldly decided to adopt a different, more pragmatic approach 
to the polarizing issue of marijuana decriminalization. The decision 
the result of a carefully considered process, painstakingly 
researched and debated for more than one year  is centered on one 
concern above all others: patient safety.

To be clear: this was a purely medical decision.

Our individual members come from every corner of California and 
represent every possible political philosophy and partisan leaning. 
But the one thing we all share is a common commitment to putting 
patients first. By that standard, we believe that the present system 
of medical cannabis is flawed, contradictory and dangerously detached 
from scientific evidence and that a new approach to legalization, 
regulation, research and enforcement is needed to protect physicians 
and patients alike.

Under current law, medical cannabis has been decriminalized in 
California, but is still illegal on a federal level. This puts 
physicians in an untenable, impractical position as the ultimate 
gatekeeper of the substance. As physicians, we want to do what's best 
for our patients  but, in California, it's tough to do that without 
comprehensive scientific and medical research and with the fear of 
federal prosecution.

The goal of our call for legalization is not to make the drug more 
available, but rather to create a strict regulatory system, 
ultimately limiting distribution and standardizing medical cannabis.

While it's currently legal in California for a physician to recommend 
medical cannabis for treatments such as neuropathic pain, dosage is 
not well standardized nor is it regulated for purity and safety. How 
are we, as health care providers, supposed to accurately recommend a 
product to a patient when the only information we have now is that 
"one lollipop is equivalent to two doses?"

Our extensive medical education, combined with pharmaceutical data on 
other drugs, keeps us knowledgeable about the composition and 
strength of everything else we prescribe to our patients. Why should 
there be an exception with medical cannabis? Until the substance is 
legalized, we cannot regulate it in a way that's safe for patient use.

As a community of physicians, we feel we're making the most 
responsible recommendation for public health. As it stands now, we 
simply don't know enough about medical cannabis to understand the 
benefits or risks that use could have for patients. There have been 
limited reports stating medical cannabis may be suitable for some 
cases of chronic pain and there have been similar reports associating 
use with both short- and long-term health risks.

The fact is we don't know what the real effects are. By changing 
cannabis from a Schedule I drug, which the federal government states 
has "no accepted medical use" and allowing for better research and 
strict regulation, we're watching out for the good of the public 
health and the safety of our patients.

Despite prohibition-related efforts, unregulated cannabis is easily 
accessible, often at a low cost. CMA recognizes the current structure 
as a failed health policy that has been unsuccessful in keeping 
patients safe. While we're glad to be part of the 15 other states 
that have decriminalized the use of medical cannabis, it simply isn't 
enough. We must create a structure that allows for serious research 
and controlled distribution.

The bottom line is that patient safety and good public health are the 
ultimate goals. Not until we've gathered sound scientific evidence, 
and created a robust regulatory structure for medical cannabis, can 
we achieve those goals.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom