Major US Doctor's Group Backs Medical Marijuana ( urges Gov to rethink prohibition )

[FrankRep]

Doctors group backs medical marijuana
American College of Physicians urges government to rethink prohibition

Reuters
Feb. 15, 2008


WASHINGTON - A leading U.S. doctors group has endorsed using marijuana for medical purposes, urging the government to roll back a prohibition on using it to treat patients and supporting studies into its medical applications.

The American College of Physicians, the second-largest doctors group in the United States, issued a policy statement on medical marijuana this week after it was approved by its governing body, the group said on Friday.

The group cited evidence that marijuana is valuable in treating severe weight loss associated with AIDS, and nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy in cancer patients.

"Additional research is needed to clarify marijuana's therapeutic properties and determine standard and optimal doses and routes of delivery. Unfortunately, research expansion has been hindered by a complicated federal approval process, limited availability of research-grade marijuana and the debate over legalization," the group said.
...


Full Story:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23190863/

[CurtisLow]

Maybe it will help the MMJ movement in Ohio and Pa...

[WilliamC]

Until people realize that the War on Drugs is not about keeping people from using drugs then nothing will change.

[constituent]

Until people realize that the War on Drugs is not about keeping people from using drugs then nothing will change.

yep.

[coastie]

Until people realize that the War on Drugs is not about keeping people from using drugs then nothing will change.

which is exactly why nothing will ever come of this. They're in "lockdown" mode boys and girls, this country is fast becoming a mockery of its formal self. hang on, hands in feet inside the cage, its fixing to be a REALLY bumpy ride....

[khorbis]

Perhaps we should write them for a public endorsement?

I did:

To Members of ACP,

I came across an news article today concerning the American College of Physicians' urging of the federal government to rethink their prohibition on medical marijuana. I'm sure ACP would also agree that drug abuse, in general, is a medical, not criminal, problem. It is a sad fact that the government arrests more than 700,000 marijuana users per DAY - individuals who have done nothing more than exercise their right to do what they want to their own body. It is a travesty 50 years in the making.

There is another man who agrees with ACP's assessment, a retired obstetrician turned statesman by the name of Ron Paul (R-TX). This man has been struggling for past 30 years to end the failed "War on Drugs." In fact, this man is currently running for president on a pro-civil liberties, small government platform that would essentially END government involvement in the medical field. Ron Paul understands that decisions on medical treatment are best left to the physician and patient, not some centralized, ill-informed bureaucracy that wastes tax-payer money and hinders medical research.

If ACP is truly concerned that "research expansion has been hindered by a complicated federal approval process, limited availability of research-grade marijuana and the debate over legalization," then it would certainly benefit ACP to publicly endorse Ron Paul for president in 2008. Please, for the sake of us all, help to restore emphasis of our constitutional rights and end unneccesary, harmful drug legislation. Thank you for your time.


Sincerely,

XXX

[FindLiberty]

I think the bigger issue here is....

The government needs to go back into the bottle and stay out of our lives (i.e., all decisions and our pocketbooks via inflation, fees or taxes).

Oh yea, and chain that bottle stopper back in place with the constitution.

[WilliamC]

which is exactly why nothing will ever come of this. They're in "lockdown" mode boys and girls, this country is fast becoming a mockery of its formal self. hang on, hands in feet inside the cage, its fixing to be a REALLY bumpy ride....

I fear you are more correct that I would like to admit.