The Pennsylvania Medical Society won’t support medicinal marijuana legalization until further research better proves its viability as a treatment option. That position was one of several adopted at the group’s annual House of Delegates meeting late last month.
PAMED represents some 20,000 physicians and medical students in the state; President Scott Shapiro said medical research is being held back due to legal barriers at the federal level.
“Right now, because of many obstacles that the medical society really doesn’t have any control (of), and groups like the (National Institute of Health) and the (Drug Enforcement Administration) do, we’re just in a position where we can’t support prescription of it because it doesn’t rise to the level that all the other prescriptions that we provide for ... do,” Shapiro said.
Marijuana is a Schedule I substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act, and though states have passed laws permitting its use as medicine or recreational use, it remains an illegal substance nationwide.
The DEA said it does support research into potential medical uses of marijuana. The agency’s website states that as of May 2014:
- There are 237 researchers registered with DEA to perform studies with marijuana, marijuana extracts, and non-tetrahydrocannabinol marijuana derivatives that exists in the plant, such as cannabidiol and cannabinol;
- Studies include evaluation of abuse potential, physical/psychological effects, adverse effects, therapeutic potential, and detection;
- Sixteen of these registered researchers are approved to conduct research with smoked marijuana on human subjects.
But, some medical marijuana advocates say the DEA is blocking the issuance of more permits for wider research. Without more research, physicians said they would not feel comfortable using cannabis in patients’ treatment.
“One of the best-quoted and considered the best study had 14 patients in it,” said Martin Trichtinger, PAMED's house speaker. “That kind of number is not really adequate for people to truly know what they are doing when they’re attempting to treat a patient.”
Trichtinger said having any kind of “credible evidence and credible study” would be immensely valuable and that if proven effective and safe, physicians would not hesitate to prescribe it to patients it could help. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws that allow for its medicinal use.
PAMED officals agreed to ask the state to fund further research with their guidance on programs. This comes as state lawmakers are considering Senate Bill 3, which allow for the medical use of cannabis in the commonwealth. PAMED said it cannot “rubber stamp” the bill.
The group meets each year and outlines priorities and positions on several areas. Opinions and fndings are passed along to lawmakers.
