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troutman · 03-02-2011, 09:42 AM

Medical Marijuana: are we ready?

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=2825

Cannabis has been used recreationally and medically for centuries. Despite long experience, relatively little is known about the risks and benefits of its use as a medication. A considerable portion of our ignorance can be attributed to government discouragement of cannabis research. Searching the NIH website brings up many studies of both cannabis abuse and cannabis as a therapeutic agent, but most of the general information available is about cannabis as a drug of abuse.

As with any pharmacologically active substance, there are no “side effects”, only effects which we desire and those we do not. Given that cannabis is clearly a powerful pharmacologic agent, that there is a great deal of anecdotal evidence supporting its use, and that there is scientific plausibility to these claims, its potential use as a therapeutic drug should be investigated seriously.

Marijuana offers many promising avenues of investigation, although there will be little advancement without a change in US government policy. But for a physician, the reason for the lack of data is not nearly as important as the lack of data itself. As physicians, we cannot ethically prescribe or recommend a powerful pharmaceutical whose effects are not at least reasonably well-known. In fact, it’s hard to envision any situation in which prescribing marijuana would be ethical. If there were a condition with a lot of anecdotal data and no other effective treatment, and the risks of the condition were such that they outweighed the health risks and dependence potential of marijuana, we would maybe—maybe—have something to work with. But for now, people who want to take cannabis should not count on a doctor to approve it for them.

03-02-2011, 09:42 AM	#73
troutman Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Crowsnest Pass Exp:	Medical Marijuana: are we ready? http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=2825 Cannabis has been used recreationally and medically for centuries. Despite long experience, relatively little is known about the risks and benefits of its use as a medication. A considerable portion of our ignorance can be attributed to government discouragement of cannabis research. Searching the NIH website brings up many studies of both cannabis abuse and cannabis as a therapeutic agent, but most of the general information available is about cannabis as a drug of abuse. As with any pharmacologically active substance, there are no “side effects”, only effects which we desire and those we do not. Given that cannabis is clearly a powerful pharmacologic agent, that there is a great deal of anecdotal evidence supporting its use, and that there is scientific plausibility to these claims, its potential use as a therapeutic drug should be investigated seriously. Marijuana offers many promising avenues of investigation, although there will be little advancement without a change in US government policy. But for a physician, the reason for the lack of data is not nearly as important as the lack of data itself. As physicians, we cannot ethically prescribe or recommend a powerful pharmaceutical whose effects are not at least reasonably well-known. In fact, it’s hard to envision any situation in which prescribing marijuana would be ethical. If there were a condition with a lot of anecdotal data and no other effective treatment, and the risks of the condition were such that they outweighed the health risks and dependence potential of marijuana, we would maybe—maybe—have something to work with. But for now, people who want to take cannabis should not count on a doctor to approve it for them.