The British Medical Association (BMA) overwhelmingly called for the legalization of marijuana for medical use at a July 2 conference in Edinburgh, Scotland.
More than 400 doctors voted in favor of the resolution following presentations from members of a BMA working committee that described some patients’ experiences with the drug. Leading the charge was Dr. Uprenda Pati, a northwest United Kingdom physician and medical marijuana advocate. Pati told conference attendees that many cannabinoids have therapeutic value in the treatment of nausea, spasticity disorders, and other serious diseases. “We don’t want our patients to use unlicensed cannabinoids that could be dangerous,” Pati explained.
Since 1971, doctors in United Kingdom have been forbidden by law to prescribe marijuana. Currently, British physicians may prescribe only two marijuana derivatives for medical treatment. These drugs may solely be prescribed in hospitals and may be distributed only to patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy.
Harvard medical professor Dr. Lester Grinspoon praised the BMA for addressing the issue of legal access to medical marijuana. “The BMA appears to be quicker than the American Medical Association (AMA) to recognize not only the medical usefulness of cannabis, but also to overcome the hoary myths surrounding the drug,” he said. “It is just a matter of time before organized medicine everywhere recognizes the many uses of this valuable medicine.”
The association stressed that it did not favor legalizing marijuana for recreational use.
For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of The NORML Foundation at (202) 483-8751.