The changing debate over medical marijuana

I am an old pothead who believes that marijuana makes a big difference with my arthritis problems. Now my wife is dealing with stage 4 cancer and chemotherapy and suddenly the benefit of smoking pot for her is stark. If she has good pot to smoke she does not feel sick. When she does suddenly feel nauseous a hit has an instantaneous effect. Fortunately we live in Northern New York where pot is good, relatively inexpensive and, most of all, decriminalized.

We do not see or hear any information about the possible benefits of medical marijuana in any of the doctor's offices or medical facilities we visit. I have seen people obviously suffering a great deal with symptoms that might be effectively relieved by a safe and available treatment.

I have always felt strongly that marijuana should be legal but understand the opposite viewpoint. I do not understand how anyone could see what we are experiencing now and think that we should be arrested.

I feel as though we should try to limit the pain, and take away the suffering, of those that need it. The active chemicals within Marijuana, naturally, take care of pain and lighten the mood of those that take it. If you could buy a pot patch, or get a pill with THC in it, we could help limit the suffering of so many.

The laws in California are interesting but I have talked to people on the street in San Francisco that have a medical marijuana card for anxiety and carpel tunnel, just about anything. There are plenty of people with prescriptions that are very sick and it takes away the suffering.

I don't think smoking pot is the answer, but I do think that having THC has a pain killer, and mood enhancer, is a viable option worth some research.

I'm very ill....I smoke it. From White Widow to Hash Plant I'm an expert. The real problem is cost and the gangsters behind it now. free it tax it and let folks decide...I'm mean they already have

I'm glad this is being considered. When my late husband was dying of cirrhosis, he could not metabolize narcotic drugs to relieve his almost constant pain. He occasionally smoked marijuana, which helped some. He was honest about this with his doctors. They could not legitimately endorse this practice, since it was illegal, but they acknowledged that it was a valid method for pain relief. Since having two nonsmoking family members die from lung cancer, I hesitate to endorse smoking of any substance - I know THC can be safely ingested with similar pain relief effects and without damage to lung tissue. I sincerely hope cannabinoids will soon join the ranks of legitimate medicines in our society.

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rigorous standards? please. like the numerous side effects caused by most prescription medicine? sure it will help your headache, but you could damage your liver. depressed? we got something for that...but it may lead to suicidal thoughts. or heart disease. or some other God awful side effect. marijuana's side effects? how about slight paranoia (if you get the wrong strain), the munchies (oooh, better be careful there), short term memory loss (name one person who deosn't forget the name of a person they just met), and red eyes. you tell me, where's the real trouble lie? with the rigorously tested prescription meds, or marijuana? this whole conspiracy against hippy lettuce is a joke. the wool was pulled over the eyes of the country many many years ago and people still believe it. go ahead morons, take another drink of your alcohol. that's got to be one of the biggest killers out there. a perfectly legal drug that could easily be on the list of shedule I drugs, and i can go buy it any time at my local convenience store. way to go powers that be. way to prioritize the dangerous drugs. glad you thought it through. idiots.

I have worked in the field of addiction/recovery for the past 23 years and have watched changes happen that show significant benefit to a small group but being a resident of California, I am always hit with the Proposition 215 Medical Question and the supporters have all the answers without any scientific research. I believe the AMA is taking a stand to admit the possible positive effects versus a 72-year old policy of being closed to new information, data, studies, etc. I am not a big advocate of the Medical Marijuana Law, but in some populations and under certain conditions this drug could have some impact.

I have always argued that not enough research is available and this will finally open that door.

My concern with the medical marijuana debate has always centered on the actual evidence of medicinal benefit of the drug. For all other medicines to be considered as effective medicinal treatments they must first be approved by the FDA, the AMA, and the US government. If a substance fails to meed FDA standards, it cannot be sold. If a substance fails to meet AMA standards, it is not prescribed. and if a substance fails to meet legal standards, it cannot be produced or distributed. Thus, if we look at marijuana, it currently does not meet any of the above standards and thus should not be prescribed. Whereas it is the government's inherent responsibility to protect the population from reasonable dangers, it is not their responsibility to promote untested dangers. That is not to say that marijuana does not have positive medicinal uses or effects, but until these are properly tested – as the AMA has suggested – it should not be authorized or even promoted as a medical treatment. Along the same lines, it is utterly irresponsible for physicians to prescribe such an untested drug. This kind of action reminds me of the influenza pandemic of the early twentieth century during which paranoid mothers would create and spread recipes of homemade concoctions that supposedly prevented contraction of the deadly illness. These, like marijuana, were untested hocus pocus and consequently had either no effect, or were even detrimental in other respects. While marijuana may have positive medicinal effects, until they are soundly proven and accepted, it should not be on any ballot.

An additional aside: my argument is not against marijuana itself, the legality of marijuana as a recreational drug is completely different and separate to issue of its potential therapeutic use. Although these two issues seem related (and in fact most voters believe they are) they are inherently separate and should not be confused. Finally, I would like to comment on the potential treatment methods. I d not believe that smoking is the most effective, or most healthy way to ingest marijuana. If these studies are to follow the same standards of other dugs then they would limit any other potential hazards and find a way to transmit the active compounds in another matter, perhaps orally or even as a vaporized compound through inhalation.

That is my two cents, I apologize for the length and I look forward to reading additional posts.

I have a medicinal card for marijuana. I do not think that marijuana should be listed as a federal schedule 1 drug with major federal consequences for people who are medically benefitting from its use. I do however believe it should be made illegal to those are using it for fun or for profit. There should be penalties put in place to protect people who are following the rules and doing the right thing verse the people that see an opportunistic way to take advantage of the system

I believe that marijuana should be allowed the chance to be studied and be given a fair amount of judgment before being cast aside as illicit. I suffer from chronic migraines and some insomnia every now and then, and have the a tolerance similar to that of an elephant. I have tried various medications, and none work; increasing the dosage only makes side effects more prominent, and necessitates another medication to combat the side effects. Why not use a heal-all combination drug (thc) that is practically impossible to overdose on, and is less toxic than asprin?

marijuana should not be smoked, it should be eaten. it should not be processed into a product controlled by the drug and insurance industries. get it out of the hands of criminals and into the hands of citizens.

First of all, the AMA needs to conduct studies on Vaporized THC not smoked. Nothing smoked is good for you, yet Marijuana that is vaporized has no flame, no carbon, and is much healthier for you.

The AMA making a stand, and basically prodding the government into backing off so they can research it is a step in the right direction.

It's time we start putting criminals in jail, and not people who use marijuana to treat their health problems.

As an active duty military member I'll never be smoking marijuana. However, as someone who has gone through two service-related back surgeries and the gamut of narcotics that goes along (a years worth), I completely understand the need for more options on the table. I would never wish the the mostly ineffective prescription pain killers I had for any one. They never worked all that well and the withdrawls were horrible. Another option on the table would be fantastic.

What possible reason could there be to block research? Either the medical value of marijuana will be proved or disproved. The only rational basis on which to formulate our national medical/scientific policy is science. Not the self-serving political agendas of ignorant politicians who probably failed every science class they ever took.

Why is the medical establishment so slow in catching on? Marijuana has been used therapeutically, in some form or another, for thousands of years.

It's about time we started asking why.

I am a 21/2 year survivor of lymphoma and bone marrow cancer. during my 6 month period of chemotherapy every weeks I used marijuana regularly. It does wonders for pain relief and nausea.
I have continued to use it as the pain of osteoporis[sp] and other residual effects of the chemo will always be with me.
I am a registered participant in Oregons Medical Marijuana program.

I have taught substance abuse prevention and treatment classes and have never personally used tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs, and I avoid all medications when I can. I consider myself a political and religious conservative, but I am in favor of researching medical uses for marijuana. Most legal medications carry some risk if misused, but that doesn't prevent us from making use of their appropriate benefits. It makes sense to conduct impartial research to find out the unbiased risks and benefits of any substance. Marijuana is potentially dangerous when misused, but no more so than tobacco, alcohol or the opioids in general. We should not demonize it but treat it as we would any other substance in the pharmacopoeia.

I 100% support this decision by the AMA. Marijuana needs to be removed as as schedule I drug so that real, legal, research,tests, and trials can be completed. Visit http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5441 for more info on medical marijuana.

I'm heartened by the news that some studies will be done to see if marijuana can help those in need. Patients who have access to it now say it works. There is NO good reason that it is a Schedule 1 drug.

Since one cannot overdose on marijauna, just take a moment and consider the number of prescription drugs that it can replace. It's hard to make a profit off of something that grows in the back yard and studies have shown, fights cancer cells (don't know how trustworthy these studies are, one was done at some place called Harvard). Cheers.

There may certainly be some valid scenarios for the use of medical marijuana. I haven't used any since the 70's, but that memory makes me wonder how safe this drug will be, for example, when someone gets behind the wheel. It definitely impairs driving. I also had a friend who smoked so much it literally ruined his life (even though he never escalated to more powerful drugs).

Will there be age restrictions? Can a high school athlete 18 years of age with a torn ligament get a prescription?How about parents' ability to care for young children while high? Is it easier just to give Junior a little toke off the bong to keep him mellow? Of course that would be illegal, but who's going to report it or even find out about it?

I'm not a prude, but I gave up this form of recreation when I became pregnant with my first child, and have never revisited it. The AMA and society at large must look carefully at not just the benefits but also the potential pitfalls. The threshold question is whether this type of "medication" can be safely dispensed throughout the general population, considering the difficulty of monitoring both use and prescription.

It is certainly not a miracle drug and it IS a drug although an extremely mild one with very mild side effects, it should never have been classified schedule 1 in the first place. The medical benefits are apparent and easily seen by anyone willing to look...unfortunately politics were involved so as you say...vision is usually the first casuality. I'm glad to see you revised your opinion based on some actual facts this time instead of the purely propagandist talking points you used in your first opinion piece about medical marijuanna. Thanks so much for taking a closer look at the issue...please keep looking. The psychological aspects have barely been investigated beyond establishing that it's mildly psychologically addictive. I honestly believe this drug helped me control my manic depressive episodes much better than prosac ever did with 0 potential toxic side effects. The effects of smoking the old fashioned way I'm sure still apply, but improvements in delivery have eliminated most of those. I'm not asking that you endorse or condone the act but it's refreshing to see some one take an honest look instead of sneering and dismissing "out of hand" what could very well turn out to be valid evidence.

Well, I think it should be completely legalized today, along with plenty of other "dangerous" drugs, but...baby steps...

This is huge. Getting the AMA to even look at this presents a glimmer of hope. The one thing I hope gets brought out in all this is that it is by no means necessary to smoke marijuana to reap its benefits. Vaporization is the future, and smoking marijuana (and tobacco, for that matter) will soon be as old-fashioned as rotary telephones.

If the fire and smoke are taken out of the equation, the little danger associated with smoking marijuana is gone. What is left for the puritans to preach the dangers of when that happens?

This change is long overdue. Doctors all over the country have begun to recognize the medicinal values of cannabis, and it is important to bring the science into the national forefront. There is more than enough evidence to warrant proactive government on this issue, the debate should be over.

Of course it should be taken off schedule 1, it's rediculous that it is on there in the first place. There is a lot of potential in cannibus, both commercially (i.e. hemp based products) and medically. We need to move beyond the ignorance and fear, and not throw the baby out with the bath water when it comes to the benefits that marijuna way confer upon our society if examined in a unbiased and scientific manner.

As a medical student i must applaud the AMA and say it is about time. The legality of medical marijuana is long over due for another look, and this is a good step in the right direction. As a drug marijuana would be considered one of the most beneficial and safest on the market. This drug could promote appetite in those unable to eat due to cancer, reduces pain in millions affected with chronic pains, all while having minimal addictive properties with nearly no chance of overdose. Bravo AMA, bravo.

Dear Stephanie,

While the current practices and studies for the medical use of Marijuana are becoming more acceptable these days, I caution people to not view this as "another loophole" for people to gain legal access to Marijuana.

I suffer from severe tendonitis, cupital tunnel syndrome, and arthritis in my wrists and hands. Currently, my only legal options for pain management medications are limited to narcotic controlled substances, which have been shown to give patients a chemical dependency.

I have read many different articles from reputable medical professionals that Marijuana as has a significant capacity to provide an anti-inflammatory relief. I have also seen real results of this in a family member who lives in a state that allows the medical use of Marijuana. He has seen more relief through the medical use of Marijuana than any pill prescription he has ever used.

While I am very much in favor of expanding the research of medical Marijuana use, I suggest that we look beyond our societys' stereotypes and explore the benefits of this drug to lesser, but overwhelmingly common conditions where infammation affects everyday life, right down to a persons' mobility. The benefits, I believe, would help legitimize the expansion of this research.

After reading your column here, I do wonder what your Father-in-Law would say to my post. I do get an "Old School" impression based on his comments, but even "Old School" can be optimistic when it comes to helping people.

Thanks you for your time.

Respectfully,
Kris Heidbrier

I think it is a positive step in the right direction. I think the demonization of marijuana in ridiculous, considering sustances that are medically proven to cause harm such as alcohol and nicotine are legal and widely accepted.

Once the "corporate establishment" can prove that marijuana has medical applications, you just wait to see how fast it is rushed to the market! So, while the big-bidness-boys make gazillions dollars off of their new formulas, our governement will most likely still be locking up casual users of street purchased pot.

Why are we polarized? Because the information fed to us, and on which we base our judgement – whether it is about marijuana or anything else – , is intended to polarize. Today's news media lives on controversy and conflict, not harmony; it is their oxygen. I am sure, for instance, that almost nobody would have objected to so-called "same-sex-marriages" if the word MARRIAGE hadn't been stuffed down their throats.

Come on people. Anyone that has ever experimented with the harmless natural herb and the other mentioned drugs knows that they are in no way similar. I think that marijuana has so many positive uses and we are fools for not allowing our citizens to exercise our so called freedom for free enterprise and science. Who knows, tax the stuff and maybe we can pay for healthcare and all the other spending that our government has been recently spending.

There are always commercials on TV how a prescription drug could kill or damage peoples health and there are lawsuits against them. Marijuana is much safer with less side effects than many prescription drugs. Any arguments about it causing lung cancer or being harmful because you smoke it don't make sense. The THC can be extracted and can be eaten instead of inhaled.

There is no harm in running trials on marijuana. The worst that could happen would be that marijuana is proven not to have any medical validity. At its best it could ease thousands of peoples' pain and suffering.
Once we have a definitive answer from the medical community our lawmakers will be able to make truly informed and up to date decisions about the drug. I believe these trials need to happen, its owed to us as U.S citizens to finally know the truth about marijuana.

I can appreciate both sides of the issue. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we discover that it can be used to treat several ailments? Or, we might just be able to put to rest once and for all that it is a useless plant whose only purpose is to get someone intoxicated.
Let's allow the scientific community to analyze and provide an unbiased report.

We need to continue research on cannabinoids, and the position of the AMA in that regard is reasonable. But the current popular movement for medical marijuana is in fact an attempt at at back door to legalize recreational drug abuse. We don't see festivals for any other drugs or therapies in the pipeline, I was even told by a young man who wanted me to sign a petition that it isn't really a drug. I do believe the legal penalties are too stiff, the drug is fairly benign but still a drug of abuse and an intoxicant, so the law should not be blind to it. Reasonable positions and cooler heads should continue to prevail I hope, and the AMA took a step in the right direction.

Stupid laws not the plant ruins life. I stopped being on the honor roll and decided since all you windbags want to call smokers names,no good etc and blame all of societies ills on a plant, good for you. You crashed the economy with reckless spending,over paid union lackeys and made up wars. So proud of yourselves you claim"drug free" is what you are.
Look at the mess you "straights" made. Bailouts,unethical behavior and yet you call me the bad guy. Enjoy your sty while I get high. I relish the though of you destroying your own country while you abandon "freedom of choice". BTW, crop 2009 is fantastic and my self medication program has resulted in no broken bones, no hospital visits,no cavities and the common sense of keeping my money in my pocket not some pharma.

The relief mild marijuana gave to my mother, who had metastatic cancer, when not even the strongest pain killers would ease the suffering made a huge difference in the quality of the end years of her life. It is a good thing to see they are at least considering new options regarding the issue.

One thing I have not seen in news articles regarding medical marijuana use is the fact that many medical marijuana patients don't smoke it. They either use it in food or they vaporize it. Eating an equivalent synthetic tablet wasn't an option for my mother as she wasn't able to keep things down long enough for it to take effect. The vapor offered an option where she didn't have to ingest foods orally, nor did she have to put burnt particles from smoke into her lungs. I've been wondering why smoking it is always mentioned when the other possibly healthier methods aren't.

People for legislation of drugs (marijuana in u.s.) are more concerned with the right to get high then for actual medical benefits .Smoking is unhealthy no matter if it's marijuana or tobacco.

If people want cannabis for health reasons, why are they not advocating eating it rather then smoking? Why are marijuana supporters not talking about altering THC so that a person can get the benefits without causing brain impairment? Are there safer alternatives? Where is the scientific research comparing cannabis to current treatments? Where is a list of current medications that cannabis is supposedly better then? Where is the scientific data concerning levels of THC that could be used safely for a specific medical reason? Why don't cannabis supporters advocate for using the least amount as possible to mitigate side effects?

As far as AMA, i don't see any announcements from them saying we should look into SMOKING cigarettes as treatments for stress and weight loss.

Marijuana users (in general) want the right to get high under the guise of medical benefits. Anyone that cannot see the truth is blind.

Marijuana is the only medication that helps my husband's leg spasms, which sometimes are so severe his entire body shakes and he loses control over the muscles. It also alleviates the pain that accompanies the spasms. We are nearing the completion of the process to obtain the drug legally in our state but currently have to find sources outside the law. It would be so much easier if his neurologist could just write a prescription and he could have it filled at his usual pharmacy. A little human compassion from lawmakers would make his illness much easier to bear.

I am a Libertarian. All drugs should be legal for adults. They should be regulated and taxed with warnings issued and rehab should be made available. The drug war could be ended at this point, saving us billions of dollars and decreasing the violence of our own law-enforcement agencies. No more no-knock warrants and bullets flying in our neighborhoods. Arrest people for breaking laws. Not for putting substances in their own bodies. That truly is ridiculous.

What do I think? I think it is LONG over due, and I am cheering as I sit here reading all the articles coming forth since this statement was made by the AMA. This is a huge victory for Medical Marijuana Advocates, as we have been WANTING studies as they mention to be conducted for years to support the evident results we already know.

I will follow this closely, reports from any studies will be in high demand. I have a file myself on all the supporting documents currently available. I am sure others do too.

Thank you for bringing this to a broader public forum.

Elizabeth

I think medical science is advancing by leaps and bounds, and that we are now finding the potential for medicine where we once saw none. Given the rise of new flu strains, new anti-biotic resistant staph infections, etc., we need to investigate every avenue possible and strengthen our arsenal of medications.

Prescription drugs and alcohol are highly addictive and highly abused, yet they are still legal. When is this country going to wake up?

I wish that there was another way to take marijuana into one's system other than smoking it. It is yet another "second-hand smoke" that I don't enjoy experiencing. In fact, I hate the smell. My simple concern about its use is how non-users may be impacted.

I could wish that it would be marketed in the form of an inhaler, similar to that used by asthmatics.

But I know that this is wishful thinking.

It's not all one or all the other– it's both: we should decriminalize but control pot use, as we do cigarettes and alchohol. Our current policy puts pot in the hands of dealers who also sell hard drugs (creating the "gateway" connection), it diverts police resources away from real crime, and the enforcement actions ruin lives, all of which is unnecessary. In addition, we are enriching drug cartels and losing potential tax revenue. We should define "abuse" to exclude normal use, as with cigarettes and alcohol. We shoud include "high on pot" under DUI; after all, it is intoxicating. Don't push pot into the shadows and thus into the arms of criminals, as we did with prohibition of alcohol. Bring it into the light and let fed, state and local governments control it rationally.

My assumption is that those who are opposed to medical marijuana have not witnessed the devastating effects of terminal cancer. My wife has stage 4 terminal pancreatic cancer. There is no cure for her. She will die in a few short months. The argument of addiction is moot.

Both of us are suffering from this disease. She with pain, loss of appetite, and vomiting up the little that she tries to eat. Myself with helplessly watching the one I love so dearly go through this without relief. She is dieing and my heart is breaking.

I have no idea if or how smoking marijuana might help her condition. There are thousands of rumors and opinions that insist the use of marijuana might bring her some relief. She is, after all, "a dead man walking." What hard-hearted logic deems it morally acceptable to deny a dieing person anything that might bring some relief.

Of course it should be reclassified.Drugs are not all the same.Some,
{cocaine,painkillers,heroin} kill you much faster than others like alcohol or nicotene. Marijuana might not be great for you long term but if it keeps people from other drugs that are much worse it is a good thing.The government should regulate and tax it. It should be treated like alcohol,although it`s not nearly as harmful to you.

Now I understand why only 10% of all physicians nationwide are members of the AMA. First an endorsement of the healthcare debacle, second an opinion on gay marriage, and now a push into marijuana. I would say as a practicing physician that it is safe to say, the remainder of our 90% will retain nonmember status and never join the AMA.

I agree, there is no reason for marijuana to be a Schedule 1 drug! At least reclassify it and begin clinical trials.

With the current state of the economy, I predict that within 5 – 10 years it will be decriminalized. It will not be legalized from a moral standpoint, but from a revenue generating standpoint. Just as you see happening in California.

If you look at the method the gambling industry took to legalize gambling, you see the same thing happening with marijuana. From small "entertainment only" riverboats to full blown land based casinos, it took a few years but they got the job done, simply because the tax revenue is to lucrative.

Yes, it should be taken off the Schedule I status and studied. I have seen the benefits of its use several times. My father died, at home, of colon cancer, that spread, in the early 90's. They gave him morphine via IV drip to combat the pain, but he was not able to eat much and had trouble keeping anything down he was wasting away. He started using smoked marijuana, just a couple "tokes" and it helped alot. He "benefited" from the use. He said it helped with the pain and his ability to keep food down. The debate for legalization is not the issue, today, medicinal use should be the focus of the debate, today. I know of another family member that use marijuana to combat IBS, she used pills for years with many side effects, liver and stomach, with marijuana smoked a couple times a day she has improved greatly. don't know about clinical studies ect., I just know what I have witnessed and read regarding the benefits and there are benefits. My concern is that the drug companies will direct the studies and manipulate the results to their favor because how would they control something that almost anyone who grows a garden can grow.

Yes, it should be taken off of the Schedule I status. However, It was my impression that prior to the 60's and during the 60-70's that extensive studies where completed to include the plant's life cycle Is this not true ?

Or would these studied efforts just be a avenue to produce a synthetic (sp) product for the pharmacutical industry ? If so, then why pay for something that one can grow for a little bit of soil and water.

I believe it should stay Schedule I status until it is proven that there are real medical uses as a prescription drug. Drug research companies should be allowed to explore the possibilities for the use of medical marijuana but it should not be legalized. I as a future business owner would never hire or continue to employ a person who tests positive for THC. The liability of having a person under the influence of THC on the job is too great and opens up the work place to being unsafe for coworkers. Not to mention the possibility of this under the influence person landing myself and my business in the court room being sued. Can you imagine your airline pilot smoking marijuana trying to land? Lord knows what you might get going through the drive through. I need clear headed people to work for me, not a druged up pot head.

I have Fibromyalgia x Myofascil Pain Syndrome and Degenerative joint disease and am seeing a Pain specialist who has me taking 480mg of Oxycontin daily.I am also a diabetic that has gastric issues on top of everything else.The opiates have had me vomiting daily for the last 2 years.
So Drs prescribed me Marinol,which is THC in pill form.It made me paranoid,not to mention it is impossible to swallow a pill while vomiting.I lost a ton of weight and decided to go back to an old friend,marijuanaIt literally saved my life.
The trouble is now that I have found something that works,I have to be scared to death to use it.It is now time to take a new approach to the pot issue.Legalize.It solves so many problems in one swoop.I need this precious herb to have an quality of life.I was injured on the job taking care of challenged students.
I have had many orthopedic sugeries from injuries taking care of such folks so this illness(s) is nothing of my own doing.I want to use whatever works best for me.And who should know better about me,than me! Please gets this done USA it is the very "Tree of Life" for me.

I think it's about time the AMA and the rest of the government woke up a little bit, and stopped spending so much time and money policing what a person does in their own home. Whether it is for truly medical reasons, or simply because a grown adult wants to relax at the end of the day should not matter. It is a substance a person chooses to put into their own body. If they go out and put others at risk (driving, etc...) then bust them. Otherwise, leave them be and spend some of that saved money lost to a war against our own people on actually educating them and figuring out how to show our kids there are other ways through life, rather than prison for trivial causes. Sad little fact, the guy who just went back to jail with 10 bodies in his house, spent less time inside for aggravated rape, than most drug offenders.

As a non-smoker of the drug, I believe it is long over-due for the AMA to reconsider their position on the potential health benefits of cannabinoids. Up until this subtle shift by the AMA, it appears that science has been driven by policy – meaning that the political environment has controlled scientific inquiry by restricting studies. Unlike politcal agendas, authentic science is based on open-minded investigation and fluid inquiry in pursuit of facts. Let us hope that this decision opens the door for potential relief of many who suffer from various painful and debilitating health conditions.

i think their rescindence is uncalled for and bad for people who already smoke and people who disagree with its consumption. its already bad enough that it cant be patented so whats the benefit of an organization recognizing a truth ignored for so many years?this is done because there is a greater push for legalization and if the ama dosent get involved then the business of medicine founded on patents and oil will miss out.in the end this is bad for smokers of cannibus or indicus or any other strain.

It's been used as effective medicine for centuries. It aids many other conditions than just the ones in the article . the common bipolar disorder and a.d.d. being a couple of them.
it's been illegal for political reasons more than anything .
it's a plant that grows in soil . not a hard drug made in a laboratory or a jungle somewhere .
let's open our minds as Americans/world-citizens about this beautiful and effective medicinal plant .

Medical marijuana studies are justified. I have never smoked marijuana but I have seen the results and benefits with my brother. He was a quad with severe muscle spasms. After smoking a small amount of marijuana he would go for hours without spasms. It has the potential to improve the quality of life for many people with many different medical conditions. Marinol, (THC in pill form) is another option but it does not work as well.

Not everyone who wants to ingest marijuana does it to get high. Without getting into the chemical makeup or the legal arena, the fact of the matter is that a whole bunch of people thinks it helps them. I think that the AMA has taken a courageous step in deciding to study the effects. After all, our ability to examine areas of nature for possible human benefit has dramatically increased since 1970 when it was classified as a Schedule 1 drug. Lets bring our capabilities to bear and try to settle this once and for all. Do the tests, analyze the results and make any changes that the data shows. Outdated sociatal norms should not dictate health care in this country.

Its been a long while since the 70's and my own dabblings, but I do believe there should be some honest debate about it's use. As we grow old we get some aches and pains. Having had several operations myself requiring joint surgery (no pun intended), I was prescribed pain medicine; generally lorcet, which was good for the pain relief. However, Lorcets long term addictive properties is not wise, and much of the inflammation can be taken care of with tylenol. The pain masking properties of lorcet is it's devil in disguise! Again, the lingering aches and pains we have with surgery & age can be annoying while not debilitating. Taking ones mind off the annoying pain is the key benifit to prescription drugs, in my opinion. If pot can do that, and do it with less side affects and cheaper, I'm all for it! It still needs to be determined if it's a gateway drug, or was it just the illegal status that caused it to be considered as such?? Others smarter than I have to determine that!

I feel that if marijuana had been discovered by military doctors during one of our wars instead of by jazz musicians, it would not only be legal, but there would be many derivatives of it available today. Those derived medications would be used for nausea, appetite stimulation, pain control, sedation and glaucoma. It is a shame that social stigma has kept such a potentially useful drug out of our research facilities.
Conversely, if opium had been discovered by a social lower class instead of by ancient healers, we probably would not have the dozen or so analgesics available today as well as drugs for diarrhea.

It sure would be nice if solid scientific data quieted down uninformed debate, but if you haven't already noticed it never works that way. People believe what they want to believe. They make excuses for these beliefs when confronted with evidence that contradicts it rather than admit to being wrong or even just slightly change their position.

As someone who works with adolescents in high schools, drug prevention and education this shift is frightening. Not because of the need to study in a controlled manner to determine if there are medically necessary (NECESSARY) benefits, but because of the message it sends to young people. Removing it's status as Schedule I will be the only thing marijuana proponents here – and our kids will get the message, "See it isn't that bad".....

First of all, people should know that MARIJUANA was made illegal on racist terms. White men were so terrified that "their" white women would be introduced to this "Evil Weed" by those who smoked it at the time, Mexican laborers and Black Musicians, that they turned this benign, extremely useful plant into a "drug" so dangerous that it equaled Heroin and PCP as far as harm and danger to the public. They thought white women were dumb, weak, and gullible and needed to be protected. Any Doctor NOT owned by the Pharmacutical Companies if honest, would agree that Marijuana DOES have it's value in the medical/mental/emotional areas of the human condition. This is not to say that Marijuana is for everyone, it is not. But, as a person with long-term, first hand knowlege, this wonderful plant of many, many, positive uses needs to be left up to the adult individual to be used or not used. Here in America, we do things backwards. Let's start out with the TRUTH first, then decide from there.

I think this is a very welcome change with positive potential reprecussions for persons suffering with chronic conditions that have had limited successes with other treatment approaches. Unfortunately, there are a variety of psychoactive subtances that have been found anecdotely to be of value in physical or mental healing but due to the cultural and political and as well as safety considerations they have been put on the highly restrictive Schedule I status. So for example MDMA/Ecstasy in its pure state has been known to be helpful in couples therapy or working with PTSD, there we many legal studies conducted with LSD by Dr. Stanislov Grof before it became Schedule I that showed potential benefits for treating depression etc.....To forbid medical research because of widespread public experimentation seems counterproductive. I think that the Multi- Disciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is rejoicing today as they have been very active in the field of promoting and funding legal medical studies with otherwise illegal substances. The Founderof MAPS Rick Doblin did his Ph.d at believe it or not at Harvard on this subject.

I think this change in position by the AMA is a huge move in the right direction. Marijuana is gaining the ever growing support of the public and with this, being able to do research that could be enabled by the rescheduling of Marijuana is vital.

My opinion is that smoked cannabis should be legalized ONLY for cancer patients. I have seen TV programs where people in California are able to get RX for cannabis for almost any type of nerve pain. I pose this question. Is there anyone in the world who has not had some type of nerve pain???? Legalizing cannabis for anyone other than cancer patients is INSANE. The only studies that need to be done are to find a tablet, capsule or liquid form of cannabis that does exactly the same as smoked cannabis for cancer patients. Obviously, the smoked cannabis must be as bad for a person's lungs as smoking cigarettes and it destroys millions of brain cells!!!!!

it's been proven around the world to have medical uses, but that's the tip of the iceburg marijuana brings. taxing marijuana would bring in much needed money for both state and government, leagalizing marijuana would lower the drug trade violence ten fold and it has been proven that you can't overdose on marijuana, unlike other drugs and the socally exceptable drug that causes hundreds of thousands of deaths a year; alcohol!!!

While the evidence for medical marijuana is anecdotal, there is SO MUCH anecdotal evidence that it definitely warrants further research. It is also clear that marijuana has little to nothing in common with other Schedule I drugs, but the only reasons it hasn't been removed from federal Schedule I are political rather than medical or scientific. It's time the politicians step back from hot topic issues like this and let professionals with ACTUAL experience examine the issues and make the recommendations (without government meddling, I would add).

Yes, it should be taken off Schedule I status. There are many people using it (illlegally) for medical reasons. It does help many conditions. It should be legal in all states.

I think it should be legalized and sold pver the counter just like cigarettes and cigars. We all know smoking cigarettes are bad for your health yet they are still legal for adults to buy and use so why not marijuana? We may be a modern country but in some things we are still in the last century.

It is about time. Marijuana has been the red headed stepchild for far too long. Lets get some hard proof on what it can do to help people!

I completely agree with this policy change. There have been many peer-reviewed studies done that indicate medical benefit from marijuana, but the Schedule 1 status automatically subverts their conclusions for federal government consideration. The history of the Schedule 1 status of marijuana is completely ridiculous when you read about Nixon defying his own committee's recommendation for his own political ends. I hope marijuana is rescheduled soon so that all the benefits or harms can be further assessed. Banning research of potential medicine out of fear of "reefer madness" is ridiculous.

The funny thing about the terminology for Schedule 1 drugs is that it specifically states there is no medical benefit to the substance, it's highly prone to abuse and both physical and psychological addiction.

I know at least 50 people I come in contact with daily, including friends and relatives, who use marijuana on a regular basis. Of those people, I know at least 80% of them go weeks, sometimes months without using it.

The things the government need to consider, on top of the fact that doctors have been saying for years it has medical uses, is that I highly doubt anyone can find a substantial proof scientifically that marijuana is addictive. I can see people who will gain a dependency on the drug and it's effects, but that's a personality basis, the same way people can get addicted to anything in life. When someone likes something, they will continue using it. I'm addicted to my high speed internet because it rewards me with any amount of information I want to receive via the internet – does that mean it's addictive as well?

The day the government can substantiate any claim that marijuana use can lead to a physical dependency or that using marijuana can seriously endanger anyone specifically using the drug, then they can keep the drug as a Schedule I classification.

I'm not saying legalize it (though I think it should be), I'm merely stating that the federal government over-dramatizes the effects of marijuana. And probably the funniest part about that statement: you know at least 80% of them have tried marijuana at least one time in their life.

having a broken back and several other bone injuries in my body, i have found that marijuana has been more benifical for me then regular prescription drugs. i dont smoke, but i do use a vaporizer. i have taken numerous pain pills, but nothing makes me feel better or more "normal" then vaporizing marijuana. i hope these closed minded folks review this issue and start listening to the millions of other medical marijuana users. regardless of what the law says, i will continue to use it in a responsible way, in my own home.

I agree with the AMA–however the benefits of marijuana have been known in the medical community since the 1970's. I had a friend who had leukemia back then and was being treated at Sloan Kettering in NY. A wonderful oncologist on their staff had done some trials on the benefits of marijuana in relieving nausa and stimulating hunger. He allowed my friend to smoke "pot" as part of his treatment. My freind Eamon O'Dwyer(deceased now) was interviewed on national TV in 1975 on the benefits and relief he felt while smoking "pot" during his treatments. Throughout his illness marijuana was the only thing that gave him relief. So I think this is long overdue!! Thank you to the medical community for reevaluating their position in this controversial matter

All of this stuff is way overdue. In fact, the medical community ought to take a serious look at ALL schedule I drugs for potential. As a recovering alcoholic, I'm particularly interested in the resumption of research for LSD as a treatment for alcoholism. Today's best treatments offer about a 10% rate of recovery, long term. Studies using LSD combined with intense psychological counseling, back in the 50s and 60s, had success rates as high as 65%, long term. How many alcoholics have died in the intervening 45+ years because those studies got swept under the rug when it was classified as schedule I? Those are, by far, the most promising results of treatment ever seen for alcoholism, but they've been on hold all this time because of ridiculous drug policies.

absolutely make it legal. regulate it. tax it like alcohol. wipe out the national debt. more people smoke pot among baby boomers and don't drink alcohol. if anything alcohol should be class 1 drug. you can' OD on pot but alcohol can kill you and is a lot more addictive. AND it does have medicinal qualities to boot. i've never seen anyone get violent on pot but many drunks can get violent and ruin lives, their own and others. never seen this with pot. more pros than cons i think.

I say give it a try. It's an all natural substance/product. Drugs are only "drugs of abuse" if you acutally ABUSE it. It's much like prescription pain killers Vicodin and Oxycotion, and you can get them fairly readily. And they can be either used, or abused. Why does the government need to tell me that if I use maraijuana that I'm abusing it, when that simply would not be the case. Different things do different things for different people. Some people use yoga, others use chemicals. What's the big deal?

Marijuana also calms nausea for chemotherapy patients. This is an absolute fact. Just a small amount can bring tremendous relief from debilitating nausea for these sympatoms. It is not necessary to smoke enough to feel "buzzed" in order to gain this relief. The trick is to learn just how much to use in order to ameliorate the nausea without creating light-headedness.

I definitely think it should be legal for chemo patients, but I believe that the AMA should not be involved. That organization has caused enough misery and trouble already. (thalidomide, vioxx, overpriced medications, kowtowing to pharmaceutical companies, etcetera)

I also think the AMA should back off its vendetta to make nutritional supplements illegal. Society needs to get back to the basics of health care, instead of using this pseudo-benevolent, money-motivated, drug-based system we are burdened with now. It would be far more beneficial to make McDonald's and Burger King illegal, ban refined sugars and processed starches from grocery store shelves, and teach people how to use natural herbs, plants and ordinary foods to treat themselves.

I don't go to a medical doctor when I have a health issue because I don't trust them anynmore. Instead, I do independent research and so far, I have been able to find the reasons behind my problems and the natural solutions for them. It's been an interesting experience, and my health is getting better every year. I am almost 50 years old and I feel better than I did when I was 16.

Medical doctors are needed for emergency situations, but they and the AMA should not be trusted for guidance in general health. They should do the right thing and serve public health, instead of sitting back quietly while society kills itself with drugs and bad food choices.

I think the AMA has done the right thing. I don't believe more studies are necessary though after the 40 or so years I have been aware of the devil's weed. I know what it can do for people. It should have never been a Schedule 1 to begin with! It's a plant! It seems backward to me that some states can made up their own minds, come up with a structured plan for determining the medical reasons to prescribe and dispense it. How does a state decide it has medical benefits before the AMA? The studies needed are how to make it legal tomorrow. No need to make a pill out of it. No prescription neccessary. I don't need one to buy a 55 gallon drum of Scotch. The rules have to be the same for everyone. Now ,one state can be totally different than another.

If carefully-done studies (all three phases of clinical trials) show that marijuana has medical benefits, and if those benefits outweigh any physicals risks from using the drug, then marijuana should become a a Schedule II drug. There are plenty of (pretty much all of them) prescription drugs which can harm or kill someone if used improperly: that is the point of distributing them in a controlled manner with a physician's and pharmacist's instructions. If controlled marijuana is beneficial to some patients then it should be distributed to those patients in the same manner as other Schedule II drugs (opioids, etc.)

Yes, it warrents further study. I think it will prove that medical marijuana is a viable and useful medicine that works for many ailments. They should also quit throwing people in jail because they smoke it. It's not as bad as alcohol which is legal to use and may be quite beneficial in many aspects.

I think its about time this should happen. It is rediculous how marijuana is scheduled as a class I drug when drugs such as herion, coke, and meth. Stuff that will kill you in a overdose is a schedule II drug. There has never been and never will have anyone ever overdose on marijuana. But people die everyday from alcohol poisioning but that is still legal. Just goes to show you that the gov scare tactics from decades ago still warp peoples minds to this day.

I suffer from chronic leg muscle spasms of unknown origin hundreds of times a day. My doctors have been unable to pin-point the cause, suggesting it may be related to ongoing issues with my thyroid gland. The pain from these attacks is immeasurable and I have yet to find any legal remedy to alleviate the severe amount of discomfort I feel when I am experiencing a spasm.

However, recently when I was under the influence of marijuana that I had been smoking socially for the first time ever, at that moment I experienced a severe spasm that would normally have me wincing in pain, but under the influence of marijuana, I felt absolutely no pain. It was liberating! After all this time, I had finally found something that took away the pain completely, the spasms still occured, but the pain associated with them was gone. Spasms that normally have me pulling myself through my home by my arms on the floor because my legs are constricted in agonizing pain were for once manageable.

I have had vicodin, ibuprofen, aspirin, percoset and a bevy of prescriptions given to me to help me cope with the pain, but those leave me in a non-functioning state and frankly, the risk of addiction frightens me so I am less apt to stick to a regime with those medications, and thus, I suffer needlessly. I am uncomfortable taking opiates for what is now becoming a chronic condition.

I appreciate having the option of medical marijuana, and since I suffer from a host of other maladies (severe endometriosis, acid reflux, and chronic joint pain) It is an option that I am far more apt to pursue.

It's about time. I am in favor of full legalization of marijuana, and I believe that it should be subject to the exact same legal regulations and taxes that alcohol is. I know for sure that it has medical benefits. I saw a film documentary on medical marijuana and there was a young lady in it who suffered from Cerebral Palsy. Marijuana was the only thing that helped her debilitating stuttering and severe muscle spasms. It was a black and white, night and day difference. Before she took a couple of puffs, you almost couldn't understand her she stuttered so badly. But after she smoked a little, if you didn't already know there was something wrong with her, you might not be able to tell. She was able to get up and take care of her children, able to cook for them, and carry on a normal conversation. But the irony is she has to risk losing her children by obtaining marijuana under current laws. It just seems so cruel and senseless. Especially considering that there is almost no lethal dose of marijuana. How many legal drugs can you say that about? Even caffeine has a lethal dose. And I know I don't have to tell anyone what kind of a toll alcohol and tobacco can take on entire families. To say nothing of meth, heroin, cocaine, prescription drugs...should I go on?
It really blew my mind.
Just like anything else, what works for one person might not work for another. But if this works, it should be legal and accessible.
I think our government is making a huge mistake by not revisiting our antiquated drug policies.
Lives could be saved and revenue generated by legalizing marijuana. It needs to happen.

Maijuana and tobacco have been used as medicine by the native people of the americas for centuries.

Those of us who experience the medical benefits are rolling a fatty and laughing at the AMA for their overdue watered down endorsement. Once they find a way to cannabinoid a pill and sell it for 10 bucks a pop and get insurers to pay for it, they'll further shift. Screw that, it's working for me NOW with less back pain and no chemicals or steroids or opiates coursing through my system, and it's cheap when you find a good dealer, a good grinder and a good bong. Let the naysayers fuel up on their legal pills, then line up for the inevitable class action suits propelled by the side effects and greedy lawyers. I'll get relief and be a "criminal" since I KNOW it works for me, and it doesn't empty my bank account or fill me with unneeded side problems TOKE OUT

I have had at least 10 operations on my back with 7 fused disc now, I have rods screws and plates installed in me. This was over about a 8 year time span, somewhere around the 5th year someone offered me some weed to help with the pain, and I was already on a LOT of pain meds…

I am here to say that I was able to sleep better, and actuality got some appetite back, I was able to move around with better and with less of a “haze” than the Dr. prescribed drugs, this was the first time I have ever tried weed and it lasted about 2 years; the Dr.’s ended up getting to the cause of *most of my back problems so the majority of the pain is gone now… being that it’s illegal where I live and no chance in hell of getting a prescription for it I have not had any more for about 3 years now, even though there are days that it is difficult to move around.

Psychiatrists informally tell me, appr. 2 to 1, that their patients on anti-depression or ADHD, etc. medication would benefit as much or more from smoking marijuana. Possibly due simply to the psychosomatic mind-set since the 60's. Mind over matter. I'm curious & hopeful that with this Administration finally backing off the persecution, er prosecution, of medical marijuana & the AMA considering qualified studies that this will lead to real scientific evidence that pot is far less dangerous than alchohol & tobacco. I also pray it will put an end someday to the "drug war" on pot, not heroin, etc. & the billions we waste nationally trying to root out weeds. Billions more that non-medical users put (unknowingly) into the hands of drug lords & underlings who commit street violence, backyard planting would eliminate all that. Back on topic – Physicians have long fought drama-queen spin-"doctors" who have no medical training but think they know what's best for other people's patients. It's time to smoke their baseless arguments out into the light of day.

If marijuana is not part of your personal life experiences that you have, no idea what you are talking about.

Has your MD every smoked pot?

There have been many studies on the uses of marijuana to treat human
ailments......starting with China 100's of years ago.

The AMA fears legalization (as do drug and alcoholic beverage companies–WHY? Obvious loss of business.

Marijuana is also useful for people with bipolar symptoms. In small ammounts, it can calm the "racing thoughts" quite effectively. I also is helpful in abating the suicidal ideation. I have been diagnosed with bipolar type 1 for almost 13 years. I use marijuana in small ammounts to pick up where my regular prescription drugs leave off. I am a member of a large community of bipolar people, many of whom do the same.

Marijuana should definitely be taken off of Schedule I status. Once, a long time ago, I myself used the plant for its pain releasing properties (among other things) and I certainly believe in its medicinal qualities. Furthermore, as a side note, it should also be legalized. Prohibition didn't work for alcohol but it did work for organized crime. What makes us think marijuana is any different?

Absolutely, sir. It is time that the AMA learned what the Native Amercians have known for 1,000 years. Herbs can help or heal. My father suffered from cancer, and could have this. My sister has neuropathy and can only have Vicondin (the new medicine Lyrica does not help) which is much more dangerous and addicting. This would be much more beneficial. Many people also do not realize that a person in extreme pain has no appetite. Who can think of eating when you are in agony? Again, thank you.

i think this a fantastic idea, and this should have been done years and years and years ago.
so now its legal to all to smoke, hey i drive better when iam high idk about others, but iam more in the zone, even though like everything has its ups and downs, but i think this is more of a proper idea, people only live once so let them do what they want if they are not harming anybody.-greenbean

If our President follows his own words that they would let science decide policy instead of myths and prejudices,this is the death toll of the prohibition of marijuana,and the beginning of the end for the cartels and other criminals that sell the drug to young people.
Anything we do that keeps the prohibition in place just underwrites the existence of the cartels.
As America realizes that those "potheads' are not giving them a line of bull
about marijuana and it's efficiency and safety as a medicine,they also realize that our government has lied about the dangers of marijuana.
We have come a long ways from Reefer Madness and with the instant information available,the ONDCP and The DEA are in panic mode trying to maintain their huge budget if the drug they spend over 1/2 of it on trying interdict and keep illegal is removed from schedule 1.
WAKE up America,smell the roses,marijuana was outlawed in 1937 because of prejudice and ignorance,and the only reason the Tax act passed was because a political appointee and a congressman lied to congress,and our government has continued the lie for 72 years.It is all in the congressional records,for anyone that wants to see.
And every study done on marijuana by congressional requests have recommended that marijuana be removed from schedule 1 since 1972,
aqnd the study done in 1972 recommended complete decriminalization,
and President Nixon threw it in the trash and declared war on hippies.
The ONDCP and DEA consider him a hero,but I hope America remembers him for what he was,a sorry s.o.b. Just because the next president pardoned him does not mean that he was forgiven.
It is time too stop this insanity of locking up people for a plant that mankind has used as a medicine and recreation since before written history.

See I misspelled stressed, that's how stressed I am -please correct if you can. This economy-healthcare reform-people are so polarized it is getting scary. A good ole dooby would surely ease the pain, and it is natural. I know a lot of people feel the same way but are afraid to say so because it is illegal. Thanks AMA it's about time we use this gift and there are so many bi-products that can be made from it.

I personally choose not to use it, but "Medical" marijuana should ABSOLUTELY be made available to those who need it. My father suffers from severe nerve pain; specifically, Cauda Equina (spelling?). Anyway, when some resourceful friends offered him some of their personal samples, he did find it to his advantage. We actually wish he used it more often. Sorry folks, but when it comes to other peoples day-in day-out bouts with severe pain, your "Holier than thou" attitudes just should not be allowed into the conversation. Furthermore, the population it would be allocated to is not exactly a rough and tumble crowd; they are mostly "older" people who just want relief! In other words, keep it purely clinical!!!

I think it should be legalized, like alcohol or nicotine, but that is another argument for another day.

However, we should absolutely move forward on studies of the medical benefits of marijuana. I can tell you that for me, during a year of interferon treatment, smoking marijuana significantly reduced the nausea, vomitting, headaches etc.

Its about time. Marijuana and Hemp can help provide a healthy, sustainable, and peaceful 21st century economy and environment.

I've known far greater harm caused by excessive alchohol consumption.

Make it legal, grow it, sell it, tax it. Create a truly green economy and invest in Frito Lay..

There is no reason for marijuana to be considered a Schedule 1 substance. Expect law enforcement to line up against this, as it jeopardizes their income stream under RICO seizure statutes.

If smoking pot reliefs pain and discomforted than yes it should be taking off schedule 1 status and so should herion which is a great pain killer and would also reliefs people who are suffering from pain. Terminally ill patients in all counties but USA can use herion and pot and it's only USA that drug test people for employment.

As a new chemo patient, I would like to have available any treatment option that may help me get through this ordeal. I'm already nauseous from the pain medicine, and the nausea is like to progress as the chemo progresses. I've already lost nearly twenty pounds since my disease was diagnosed. If a few puffs of marijuana would restore my appetite, I would do it in a heartbeat. As a kid and occasional adult marijuana smoker, I know firsthand that the substance can be no more mind-altering than a glass or two of wine with dinner. The drug itself isn't a gateway; people are gateways. Certain personalities will always take things to extremes no matter what they start with–cigarettes, pills, alcohol, gambling, Facebook. It's time to truly study marijuana and decide once and for all whether it deserves a place in the treatment armamentarium. It should also be regulated for personal use just like alcohol and cigarettes are. The entire country would breathe a huge sigh of relief, and think of how many tax dollars will be saved from this silly drug war and how many will be earned from the tax income. Heroin, chrystal meth, crack, cocaine, though–different story.

Honestly I think any lessening of rules on marijuana are good. In the long run i would like to see it become totally legal with laws in place to regulate its use along the lines of alcohol. Used responsibly it is no worse then booze.

Sounds more like the AMA is getting in bed with the pharmaceutical industry. . Lets consider legalizing it, only if we can process it, sell it through the pharmacy, and make a fortune off of it.

Well, it's about time. I hope the DEA (or other government entity) is not trying to get the AMA's study to back up it's propaganda about how marijuana is a dangerous drug. I surely hope this is going to be an honest study.

I have to admit I'm something of a "radical" on this subject: I think that scientists ought to be able to do trials w/o political interference & make the decision based on the data...

American's voices have finally forced the federal government to take a grudging step forward on this issue. This prohibitionist standpoint that the US has waged against this 'plant' has been a nightmare for the citizens of this great country. The 750,000 arrests made each year for American's possessing this plant speaks volume's on it's popularity. No person has ever been known to overdose on this 'drug' either. Who stands to loose on this plant being legalized? Private prison owner's, Oil Industry, Pharmaceutical Company's, Land Baron's, Lumber Company's, and the list goes on. You want to go GREEN, America? Legalize, and watch this economy not only take off, but be given back to the common US citizen.

It is wonderful that the AMA has finally awakened from their 72 year slumber, but it will take a lot more than that to change history. There is no question among people who understand this issue, marijuana is the safest "drug" in the world. Further, I would suggest that if you remove combustion from the equation, the most dangerous aspect of Marijuana is being arrested. It is past time to DECRIMINALIZE Marijuana. If we LEGALIZE it, we simply replace one failed attempt to control this plant with another. Marijuana has followed human civilization to every corner of the planet and has been in use, in one form or another for 10,000 years. The very Constitution of the United States is written on paper made from this incredible plant. We could not have won the Civil War, WWI nor WWII without this plant. I am glad to see that we are developing compasion for our fellow man here in this country, but the reality of this situation is that the government shalll make no law abridging our rights to life, liberty nor the pursuit of happiness. Further, any act by the Federal government to legalize/decriminalize Marijuana without releasing all the people conviscted for Marijuana offenses in our prison system retroactively will be disasterous, and further our decline on the world stage. DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA NOW!

The only way there will ever be real control of any of these drugs is to legalize and tax them. The dispensing could then be done systematically in such a way that would give real control over their distribution and use, which is now controlled by the cartels and underworld figures.

I absolutely agree that it should be studied for medical use. It's already known, in the rest of the world, to be one of the best treatments for glaucoma around. In the same way that morphine is valuable as a prescription medication and crazy in terms of recreational use, marijuana should absolutely be used medically.

As a retired nurse who has known patients who get relief with MJ for AIDS/cancer, I am in favor of its' use-JUDICIOUSLY! The VAST majority of our generation smoked it at least once, so we no longer believe all the "hype" the govern./our parents/schools/etc. bantered about so FALSELY. And so many others later have since that, that it is a great travesty that this wasn't done much earier!

BTW, only about 40% of doctors even bleong to the AMA; what does that say about their credibility?

Look at all the time and effort that is being spent on marijuana. If it were legalized, it would more than likely cut down on drug related crimes, wasted taxpayer money and make people happier in general. Marijuana makes people happy and hungry. Can't we just legalize it and focus on more important things?

Yes I am happy about AMA's decision. Removing cannibus from Schedule I status will allow the scientists to find out the truth about any benefits and quell any debates.

Legalize it! Compared to alchohol which is legal and ruined countless lives, marijuana is almost a herbal remedy with just some mild effects, which most people consider enjoyable. By no means does it effect long term mental health like harder drugs seem to.

AT ONE TIME I THOUGHT 'marijuana' SHOULD BE VERY HIGHLY REGULATED..UNTIL I HAD A FRIEND GET SICK WITH CANCER..I SEEN HOW IT HELPED THEM DEAL WITH THE PAIN OF CHEMO TO GIVE THEM RELIEF AND HELP THEM EAT..I BELIEVE NOW THAT STUDIES SHOULD BE OPENED WIDE SO THAT ALL PEOPLE WITH PAIN OF ANY ILLNESS MIGHT BE HELPED...BUT THATS JUST AN OBSEVATION OF A FRIEND WITH CANCER

I am so happy to see the AMA finally stepping up and reviewing a 70 year old decision that Marijuana has no medical value. I do not think there is any doubt in the science world that this miracle substance does have SOME medical value. Whether it be to releive stress (like other drugs such as XANAX, ATIVAN etc...) or to help chemotherapy patience eat, or to releive nerve pain for people with HIV... what is the harm in making this drug legal and taxing it? PEOPLE NOW IS THE TIME! STEP UP AND MAKE SURE THAT THIS 70 YEAR OLD PROPAGANDA IS SQUASHED. THIS IS 2009, WE NEED TO MAKE CHANGES.

Finally! A possible light at the end of this tunnel of nonsense. I'm in law enforcement, and have never smoked anything in my life; but I'll be the first to say that grouping marijuana in with other schedule one drugs is a bad move. From what I have seen, it does have medical applications, and is far less detrimental and addictive than schedule 3 drugs, not to mention schedule 1s. I've never heard of someone overdosing from marijuana, or getting in their car and killing an entire family while using it, or going home high and beating their wife. Classifying marijuana as a schedule 1 drug also increases the penalties upon conviction, meaning that our overcrowded prisons are full of social and recreational users. Those resources could be better spent elsewhere.

Of course it should be taken off of schedule 1. Anyone who thinks it should be left as such clearly does not accept fact. It is not even comparable to Heroin or Ecstasy and it doesn't meet the criteria to be a schedule 1 drug...ie you cannot overdose etc.. People who are against it might as well say the world is flat or eggs are bad for you..It's old bad science. It is only still illegal because big companies that do sell drugs to children, cigarettes and alcohol, donate big money to keep it illegal while thousands die from their product. Watch Reefer Madness.. There's the science supporting anti-marijuana law. "It makes black men want to rape white women, and makes white women susceptible to black men" one of the major statements that originally supported it being outlawed.

I still don't understand the opposition to medical marijuana. It has a place in medicine to alleviate the symptoms of many painful illnesses and slow the progression of wasting syndrome by stimulating the appetite of cancer and AIDS patients. The side effects of marijuana are no worse and possibly less dangerous than the effects of legally prescribed pain killers such as Oxy and Norco. I've seen much more damage result from addiction to Oxy than from marijuana use.

I'm not a marijuana user. I'm just a rational, mericful person who has seen the horrible effects of cancer and AIDS up close and personal and know that marijuana has eased the pain for many of the suffers of those illnesses and others.

Marijuana will be abused by those claiming to need it for medical reasons just as other pain killers are widely abused now. We shouldn't stop those truly in need from being allowed to use it legally because some abuse it. We can't punish the sick for the abuses of the addict nor more than we should suspend everyone's driving priviledges because some people drive drunk.

It is about time AMA has come to their senses, now we need the federal government to recognize this as well. In this day and age how can the government continue to support marijuana as a schedule 1 drug when it is in the same class as LSD, psilocybin, and other much more potent substances (not that I feel these should be schedule 1 drugs either). Even cocaine and opium are considered schedule 2 drugs because they are deemed to have some medical use. How can the government continue to justify this at the potential cost of lives and quality of living for millions of Americans. Washington needs to realize the Drug War has been nothing more than a war on the poor and minorities in the US and around the globe. It has been an abysmal failure and getting Congress to accept medical marijuana is the first step in getting them to admit they have been wrong all along.

Not taking marijuana off of schdule 1 is abusrd.
Anyone invocled in medical research who would not look at every possible avenue of medicine is violating the hippocratic oath.

The time has come to legalize pot and tax it to pay for healthcare. I have good insurance but I am concerned about people that do not have health care because they have pre-existing conditions or can not afford it.

Legalizing and taxing pot just makes sense and we need to do it sooner than later.

clearly should not be schedule I as many practicing physicians in CA believe it to have genuine use in treating symptoms such as intractable nausea

Marijuana should be further explored to ascertain its medical uses. However, that being said, I know of people who have their medical marijuana cards that have been able to obtain the cards just by saying they need it for pain/PTSD/glaucoma, etc. that don't have these medical issues. The screening process should be more rigorously enforced to weed out these false medical claims. I'm all for de-criminalizing marijuana in small amounts for adults and for broadening the medical usage of marijuana but I believe that, unless the current medical policies are tightened up, there will be repercussions that affect this entire "national conversation" about marijuana.

I do not know whether or not marijuana is beneficial to those who suffer from an affliction or chronic pain. I do not know whether or not further research into the medicinal use of marijuana would prove helpful. I only know that we should allow the medical field to investigate the matter to the fullest extent. I have a feeling we may find that the general public has created such as fuss over the recreational use of marijuana that they are willing to do or say any thing to destroy something that has the potential for doing good.

I think the AMA will favor legalization if the AMA stops allowing its members to be bribed by big pharm. This has always been the case and always will be. Big pharm loses money when doctors and patients choose this solution over one of their patented pills.

Every family doctor treats hundreds of patients every year who regularly use marijuana. Doctors know it isn't a big deal and can be used responsibly in a recreational manner. Using marijuana has risks but they don't come close to the risks of other lifestyle choices, for example, a sedentary lifestyle.

Just legalize it already. Having a bunch of doctors issue a statement about marijuana having health benefits is like having a bunch of gorillas issue a statement in favor of bananas. It is obvious, just move on to the bigger picture and legalize it in general.

Alcohol, tobacco and Firearms are legal, and all of them are potentially lethal (why we have the ATF) Yet all of them are regulated, sold for profit and taxed, creating jobs and revenue, while doing their part to stimulate the economy. So why is something that is equally or less dangerous than the other three illegal? “Especially if it offers any level of medical benefit” The days of timber barons competing with hemp farmers for sales and trade are long over, and so should be the stigma of ancient propaganda ….If we truly are dawning at the age of reason than why would we turn are back on any opportunity to improve the quality of life for any human.

Marijuana should be legalized, plain and simple!

Where is the evidence that smoking marijuana is any more of a risk than smoking ciggeretts, drinking alcohol, or taking many prescription drugs? There is no evidence because the US refuses to actually study this drug in a clincial setting. We have imposed this prohabition on this drug for reasons that I simply do not think have anything to do with health.

We could be saving so much money as a society if we simply moved beyond the rhetoric and looked at the drug for what it is. If it were to be legalized, there would be less crime, less money spent on sending thousands of indivudals to jail...less money overall that is currently spent on waging this war that cannot be won.

The mentality that marijuana is the "gateway" drug, is a complete joke. Most people who smoke pot started with cigeretts and alcohol as teens. So, I guess cigeretts and alcohol are the gateway drugs...and there certainly is no prohabition on those (at least night right now).

When we spend millions on rehab for alcoholics...millions on medical bills for those suffering from lung cancer related to cigeretts...billions of money on psychiatric medicine, one has to wonder what the fuss is about marijuana! Sorry, but even for "smoking" and driving...I would so much rather have a cautious pot smoker driving the roads than a complete drunk who has lost all senses.

The medical society should be the ones who make this call...not relious groups or conservatives. If smoking pot can help someone who does have cancer...or for those in pain – I would rather them light up than take some other prescription drug that could be more harmful!!!

I think the AMA's new position is commendable. If physician-scientists feel that it may be worthwhile to do more clinical research around medicinal marijuanna, then I am likely to agree.

Hi,

i am a Canadian resident and I follow CNN everyday, this debate about taking marijuana off of Schedule 1 is a no-brainer! Marijuana has been decrimialized in canada for some time now! having Marijuana in a catagory with Heroin and Cocaine is Crazy! Have you ever heard of someone overdosing on Marijuana??? Never! Marijuana can have medical use if used in a controlled manor!

I think this is long overdue. It's about time we started making policy based on facts and not wild speculation. No one should be afraid of more research.

If someone is dying of cancer or AIDS and this will help to improve their quality of life and treat their symptoms, we shouldn't deny it to them.

well i think its about time, a very close friend of mine has ms and i happen to know how much it helps her to smoke it. i think this could end up helping alot of people deal with pain and not beable to eat and so they should do research because as i have said i have seen the difference that marijuana has made in her life since she started smoking it to help her out.

I have suffered nerve pain for 10 plus years. Lyrica is the only drug which has helped at all and the VA recently took it off of the approved list without any notification. Since this time I have lost my job with a fortune 100 company, lapsed into total depression, and lost contact with most of my friends and family. I was injured in the war and as a good soldier I do not use illegal drugs but, I yearn to see if medical marijuana would alleviate my constant pain. Should I still have to suffer every day because William Hurst was a profiteer and a racist or should I lay aside my dedication to life and liberty to break a law I do not believe in? I struggle with this on a daily basis. I gladly made the sacrifice to make sure we live in a country where all of these things are an option.

My sister-in-law suffers from MS, Fibromyalgia and PTSD as well as other health problems. She is often in alot of pain and the prescribed pain pills don't work much. When I can, I try to get her some marijuana to smoke and it helps her alot more than those pills do.
I, myself deal with frequent nausea and marijuana helps me too.

We don't sit around and get stoned like some 18 year old kids do, we use it to alleviate symptoms of illnesses. We have jobs and families to care for.

It sure would be nice to know more about the therapeutic characteristics of marijuana.

It absolutely should be studied and researched more. Unfortunately it's taboo in our country because we are a nation of speed freaks. We need our Starbucks to maintain our ADD personality as Americans are constantly consuming food/entertainment/information and need the next fix. Marijuana slows all that down and actually makes one think about things, so I believe the government is afraid of possible changes to the national conscience. Either way, we should support the decriminalization of this herb and study it more in depth.

I feel that since some states are taking into their own hands to do as they please with marijuana, I think that it is a great idea for the AMA to attempt to lift it from schedule 1 so they can perform studies on it and it's medicinal value. I know there is a pill (marinol) based on THC but apparently it does not have the same effects as smoked marijuana. The only down side to smoking this drug/medicine as referred to in some states, no pun intended, is the damage that it can cause to an individuals lungs. However, if it is used as medicine in cases in individuals where nothing else has worked and they understand the risks of smoking it, then by all means lets get the trials going and if it turns to have a legitimate medical purpose then by all means, allow it to be used legally for medical purposes. It's not like a 1/4 of Americans in the 18-30 bracket don't already use it illegally anyway.

As a medical professional, I strongly believe that the general public should not have the power to strike down the use of medical marijuana. Many significantly more potent drugs are used in the medical profession on a day to day basis that have a significantly higher risk of dependency and morbidity and mortality than marijuana. Take any opioid (i.e. morphine, fentanyl etc.). Many patients who have undergone a large surgery or suffers from severe pain have been administered these drugs with great results. Even hard 'street drugs' such as cocaine, and ketamine (Special K) are used in the medical practice! These drugs have shown some proven medical benefit which is why they are used. In the case of marijuana, I do not think it fair for some zealot to prevent a physician from making an informed decision to administer medical marijuana to an agreeable patient who is suffering from symptoms such as severe neuropathy, lack of appetite, anorexia, glaucoma etc. Marijuana should be a controlled substance (like other narcotics) and specific restrictions should be placed on the indications where it is warranted.

The major drug companies do not want to have any kind of Pot considered for medical Use.

How many drug studies by major drug companies have been taken oft the market because they kill people.

What about neuropathy in patients with diabeties? My husband has tried everything there is and is still up all night with foot pain.

Finally, a sensable approach to the study. About time.

I smoked marijuana for a little over twenty years. I believe that marijuana is good for sick people because it causes a person who is ill to not bother that they are sick. It makes the person smoking marijuana more comfortable living with their illness. You can not overdose on marijuana.

As a Pastor (yes a real Pastor), I firmly believe in the medical use of marijuana. As I work with the mentally ill and chronically ill, I have found that most people self medicate themselves with marijuana because they cannot afford health insurance, and the sad part is that it WORKS.

As a person who deals with chronic pain, I would like the option of medical marijuana. However, living in a southern conservative state, this will probably never be an option. What is an option for me is to subject my body to various man-made chemicals that are wildly addictive.

On a recent trip to the methadone clinic, I saw a variety of people (nurses, social workers, professionals) that now require methadone because they became addicted to heroin based medications for their pain. What a shame that our society will trade an addiction for years in prison for just possession.

I've been smoking everyday for 35 years...have very smart children and not so dumb myself. Don't need eyeglasses @ 50 years old even though the rest of my "Non-burning" family does. I also have diabetes type 2 and according to my doctor, I should have neuropathy but don't.

I say, bring on the studies and I will volunteer! for Free....

it never ceases to amaze me how criticial people are of marijuana. they don't think twice about popping narcotics for knee pain, but a natural drug with much safer qualities has everyone up in arms.
the fact that it is classified as a schedule 1 drug is insane. i would rather see someone smoke a joint than pop vicodin, hydrocodone, or oxycontin.
and no, i do not smoke pot myself. but i certainly advocate for it.
as the parent of a teenaged son who recently had his spine fused from T4-L1, i cannot comfortably ask his doctor if he can smoke marijuana for the pain. but i can ask her for narcotics. what is wrong with this picture?

The overwhelming percentage of folks I know use or have tried Cannibis with Zero ill-effects. Alcohol is far worse of a drug, are there any medical uses for alcohol? Nicotine? Marijuana is soothing, relaxing and easy to come by. Taxing and regulating this use could create a financial boon for America. It helps people to get along in situations they normally would not. It is already surpassing corn as America's largest cash crop. If this country is to truly be governed for the people and by the people, there is a clear destiny for the legalization of Cannabis in America. Please make our country safer by eliminating the opportunity for criminals to profit from its illegality. Put it up for a vote in the next federal election! What a turnout there would be. Stop prosecuting and jailing good people. Even if it stays illegal, the government can not stop its use, because the average citizen knows it is good and just as harmless as the air we breath and the water we drink, yet the government can't even properly regulate the air and the water, either. This one has already been decided by the public and we good citizens are just waiting for the laws to catch up with the reality. Thank you.

It is hard to live in this time and age and not know someone who recreationally uses marijuana. I feel that the long term effects of alcohol is much worse. They say the only reason it isnt leagalized is because of the debate on taxing it... I also know of people that find that it helps ease a variety of psycological issues. Anxiety, depression, emotional eruptions. They really need to look into it. A lot of people lose their jobs everyday just because of the legal aspect of it. It should be leagalized, especially medically...

Of course marijuana should be re-considered as a schedule I drug- The people who made that decision probably never got sick enough to use it for pain control. Seeing it is a Schedule I drug, it's impossible to explore it's real benefits-which I believe is unfair to the chronically ill and suffer on a daily basis...It's the humane thing to do.

If you have ever known anyone who has suffered through Chemo this is not even that should be discussed. While a lot of people chose to abuse marijuana this is something that does have true medical benefits. People chose to abuse Oxycontin and various other pain meds however they are still on the market and are used every day to treat people.

The misclassification of cannabis as Schedule 1 during the Nixon administration was a political convenience of the era, and is long overdue for reexamination. But it's not a major source of funds for criminals (too bulky, for one thing), so beware the arguments for legalization.

NO by no means should the AMA give the impression to the general public that cannabis is harmless. I am all in favour of conducting controlled tests to determine if indeed there is some benefit to suffering patients. However, taking cannabis off Schedule I status would encourage the already plague proportion use of cannabis as a recreational drug. Research in Europe points to the dangers of use and abuse of this drug with the English government recently reclassifying it.
The AMA by all means should stay the line.

I applaud the AMA, for too long now we have ignored what is a potentially useful drug to ameliorate pain and stimulate appetite in cancer patients simply because there is a population of people that want to legalize the drug for personal leisure. There are surprisingly too few medical studies into the full benefits of marijuana because of the stigma the drug has been given in the past. Hopefully, the AMA will now open the door for in depth analysis and some concrete studies into whether or not the drug is truly beneficial and worthy of presciption status for a more wide array of medical situations.

Americans have been smoking marijuana for relaxation for decades. The rest of the civilized world has been cultivating Cannabis for 3000 years. The Law Enforcement and prison industrial complex make 75% of their money off of non-violent cannabis arrests. It is estimated that 30 Million americans smoke marijuana and do not do hard drugs whatsoever. If marijuana was lgealized the prison industrial complex would be out of work. Just like the Military industrial complex and weapons manufacturers need never ending war to keep their businesses going. The Medical Marijuana is extremely polarizing because it is the Progressive modern americans versus the old school right wing neo-fascist conservatives. What every battle in america is about!

Yes, my hushand has severe crohn's disease and on occasion this is the only thing that helps him to be able to eat without being sick and help with the pain associated with this disease.

If you open the door to acceptance, even slightly, you open the door to abuse! I am not totally convinced that cannibis has a place in medical treatment. I have seen the benefits of it on some people who have a variety of ailments, especially those you refer to above with chronic pain. However, the cannibis plant still is a drug and it doesn't take a very sophisticated person to grow it. Cannibis, because it is easily grown, makes it that much easier to be abused. Keep it schedule 1 and let doctors, policy makers,law enforcement, and patients work around that , if, indeed, it has benefits. The tragedy on the Taconic State parkway should be a reminder to us all about marijuana abuse.

My partner has MS and she began injection treatment in 2001. She initially had relapses every 6 months, at which point they would give her a week long steriod treatment (equal to what they would give cancer patients). After a year of injection treatments, her relapses became more frequent every 3 months. Beginning of 2004 her health insurance changed and we had to pay nearly $300 a month for her medication, money we didnt have at the time.

Given that the medicine didnt seem to be helping, in fact seemed to be making it worse, she discontinued injection treatment and sought alternative treatments on our own. She began a new diet restricting caffeine and red meat. She also began smoking marijuana, to address stress – stress is a main trigger for the symptoms of MS.

Since 2004 she has relapses on averge of 1 time a year, and the severity of the relapses have been on average minimal. The relapses seemed to correspond with extreme weather shifts.
This summer was her worst relapse, which followed the unexpected death of her grandmother.
Her relapse has now been occuring for 3 months, which is the longest and most severe yet...but we believe the combination of the stress from her grandmothers passing and the up & down weather this summer combined for a perfect storm.

She began taking vitamin supplements and saw initial improvement in her loss of vision. She began doing acupuncture (3 sessions so far) and that has eliminated the numbness that she was experiencing on her entire right side of her body.

She's very close to recovery, and I have no doubt that marijuana has played a significant role in managing her stress, which in turn helps her to manage her disease.

Its mind boggling that her options should only be chemical injections, of which that have serious side affects – including potential death...and yet, marijuana which by nearly all accounts is fairly safe, is unavailable to her.

We spend on average $120/month for her marijuana medication.
Compared to $300 for an injection treatment that made her worse.

Explain why this makes sense.

I think there are significant medical gains from the use of marijuana as proven by research around the world, especially in the non smoke form, as dosage can be administered based on science, like any other prescription drug.

Yes, it should be taken off Schedule 1 status, then either remain off or returned to Schedule 1 status pending the results of unbiased studies.

First of all,maijuana is medicinal as well as a recreational.I have a friend with multiple sclerosis. The only thing that helps him, without putting him into a semicoma,is marijuana. I personally believe that it should be leagalized,or at least tolerated, for recreational porpouses as well as medicinal.My argument being that weed dosen't make people aggressive,alcohol does.Weed doesn't destroy your liver, alcohol does.Weed doen't send people into depression,quite the opposite,alcohol does.People are being prescribed ,oxycotton , percocets,and many other drugs that are exponentially worse than a natural growing medicine,marijuana.

I find it puzzeling that there is so much debate on the medical use of marijauna. I don't remember methamphetamines going through such a public debate. It's amazing to me that we find problems with letting a 70 year old with liver cancer use medical marijauna, but and there is no debate in the FDA or AMA about a 5 year old using methamphetamine salts in the form of adderall.

I am relieved to hear that the medical community is finally looking into this as a drug of medicine, and not just a threat. As a glaucoma patient who is struggling to keep my disease under control with my current medications, I welcome any new opportunities to either cure or halt the progression of my disease. If this means that certain drugs have to be looked at again to evaluate their worthiness, then science should do what is necessary.

I use pot as a medicine for myself. Unfortunately it is a scheduled 1 drug which means myself and others take the risk with the police but there is no doubt in my mind that there are medical benefits behind it. I suffer from Crohn's disease as well as Ulcerative Colitis. It limits the debilitation pain and nothing manages the pain and inflammation in my stomach better than marijuana. Furthermore, my father is suffering from Leukemia and just started his first round of chemo. Everyone knows that the more positive one is, the better chance they have of success. If my father is constantly vomiting and losing weight, I want him to use anything which can make him feel like he functions better without the worry of a chemical that the government classifies as negative as meth. He could keep food down, not lose weight, and lead a more enjoyable life

What bothers me about medical marijuana debate is not that the drug has useful medical benefits, but that in states where it has been legalized it has turned into a joke. Medical marijuana may be a useful adjunct for caner patients, chronic pain patients with real diagnoses, etc, but if you examined the charts of the patients in California who have been prescribed medical marijuana a disproportionate number of them are adults in their twenties and thirties with vague diagnoses and oddly no prior treatment for these diagnoses before they were given prescriptions for medical marijuana. They have basically scammed their way into state-endorsed drug abuse. This only makes it so much harder for people for whom marijuana would be really helpful.

I've SEEN the benefits in cancer patients and those with chronic pain plus other debilitating diseases. There is no doubt in my mind there is a place for medical marijuana and we need good scientific studies to determine if that is indeed so. First and foremost, MJ needs to be rescheduled from a Schedule 1 drug so these studies can be effectively carried out. Again, I've seen it's benefits and know in my mind that medical marijuana has beneficial effect for a large number of patients. Thank you.

It's about time... tons of people are using it already to relieve pain and increase their appetites... my father had glaucoma and was told by a physician marijuana would relieve the pressure in his eyes. But... the doctor couldn't prescribe it because it was illegal.

Those Father in Law discussions would be a lot more mellow if you just shared a little medical marijuana first.

I think that it makes perfect sense to allow scientists to study the effects and in a controlled, safe environment to see if there are indeed any medicinal benefits. I do not partake and will not partake in its use but if it can help others why not? But I am sure this isue will be polarized like so many currently with those against and those for, both under teh misconception that this will allow all the marijuana smokers to over use and indulge excessively, or just allow all of those already doing it to do it out in the open. One thing that I am personally interested in is how would the second hand effects compare to nicotene? As more and more places pass laws forbidding smoking in public places such as resturants, airports, etc wouldn't those laws apply even if medical benefits were identified?

With out controlled rational study how can a decision be made on either side of the arguement? If not allowed to come to rational scientifically supported conclusions we end up like a bunch of little kids in a play ground arguing over why the sky is blue.

Marijuana should be legalized. Besides the fact that it's so common already, so easy to get if you wanted it, the effects of long term use are less detrimental than alcohol and similar legal substances. Besides the listed medical uses, it also helps with headaches, body aches, nausea, and pain associated to injury.

It really is not the taboo, illegal "drug" the government would like you to believe. Do the research for yourself.

I applaud the AMA for taking a very subtle, yet positive stance on this. We will never know the benefits without research.

It's about time there was some recognition of the good it does.
I watched my father die of cancer, trying to eat and take the meds that the Dr. prescribed. I asked about making some marijauna tea, the Dr. said it couldnt hurt. The tea was the only thing that calmed his breathing and allowed him to eat and calm his stomach.
Marijuana- it's not just for "dirty musicians anymore."

i think its great that they are exploring cannabis' healing powers. hopefully they can make some new medicines that can replace some artificial ones we have out now and eliminate some bad side effects

I would like studies to go foward, i have a very good friend with MS and it helps him with his shakes and spasms,he just turned 40 and it is early in life for him so any help and reasearch should be welcome

I think this is fantastic for both sides. Too many debates with too little real evidence that can only come from when something is a hot topic.

It (marijuana) was banned without any real evidence of its "evils" and those myths have become institutionalized. We have created a dogma based on nothing more than empty claims and accusations.

Time to find the truth and get the facts.

I Think medical marijuana should be legal as it would help my wife who has m.s. and myself as I am totally disabled, I have chronic pain,permanent nerve damage, muscle spasms and neuropathy due to my diabetes. My doctor told me to stop using marijuana that was helping my condition or my doctor would not prescribe any pain medication at all which would make me bed ridden and no quality of life, personally if I had to live that way again I would rather be dead, so I had to stop using marijuana and now my pain level is much worse. PLEASE LEGALIZE MEDICAL MARIJUANA.

It is about time that this herb is given for detailed study. This debate has gone on forever. Two thing are clear Weed is less harmful then booze and cigarettes which are both legal and I for the life of me cant understand why. I have always felt that the only reason weed is illegal is the difficulty to tax by government. I for one are in favor of legalization of weed or going back to prohibition and making cigarettes illegal.

If weed is shown to have medical benefits as well great.

Finally, an organization that actually has a say in the manner calls for review on marijuana policy. Marijuana has been studied by a wealth of experts and has been consistently labeled a much safer drug than both alcohol and tobacco while also possessing medical benefits.

Politics and science need to stay as far away from each other as possible. Reclassifying marijuana from Schedule 1 would be an enormous and necessary move, and only more supporting evidence of the benefits of marijuana in the medical field can come from it. It makes absolutely no sense that marijuana should have the same classification as heroin, cocaine, barbituates, etc.

Its about time. We've all been aware of the good marijuana can do for certain diseases and afflictions. I for one would like to see Marijuana, if it proves out and I believe it will, used to provide relief to millions of sufferers. This natural product of the earth should be explored thoroughly and when the results are in, embraced by all.

This is an excellent move, as there may be benefits to to using cannabis for some conditions. Cocaine is currently a schedule II drug itself, as we use a liquid form of it to stop severe nose bleeds. Marijuana should be given the same opportunity.

Please take the prof out of the politicians hands and keep our kids out of the prison population by leagalizing marijuana . Let there be some sanity applied by letting every one know what your position is . Leagalize marijuana and stop the witch hunt !

It's time to end the ignorance and stereotypes associated with marijuana, and enact a controlled method for production, distribution and sale in a legal form. Medical or recreational. Stop making criminals out of otherwise good citizens.

I have numerous patients here in Michigan who swear by the pain-relieving, appetite-stimulating, mood-elevating effects of smoked marijuana. Those with chronic, debilitating pain tell me they would rather smoke marijuana to alleviate their pain than take narcotic medications which cause as many adverse effects as they do pain relief. Those with cancer, wasting syndrome, or Hepatitis C are able to eat and maintain their weight. Those with debilitating panic disorder or social anxiety disorder are able to step outside their house without crippling, irrational fears by using medical marijuana.

I am relieved and encouraged by the AMA's new position on medical marijuana. I think that, by taking it off Schedule I status and making way for more studies on this drug, we can finally move forward as a medical profession in acknowledging its beneficial properties and provide it as an appropriate, legal option for qualified patients in all of these United States.

Marijuana and Ecstasy both have medical uses (Ecstasy began life as a prescription drug), and should not be Schedule 1. They have been placed there by the puritanical element of our government that is terrified somebody somewhere might actually *enjoy* taking drugs.

The rhetoric behind the marijuana debate is so out of place. It has been known for decades that the drug has paliative properties, and that it is not physically addictive. The question for the AMA is why are doctors so eager to prescribe pills that are addicitve vs. supporting a drug that isn't? Taxation and conrol are the keys to not only effective use of the drug, but a cash source for our state and federal govenments. I hve known several people who have died from drinking and driving, but not one from smoking marijuana.

What I don't understand is why the debate is over SMOKED marijuana? Smoking is obviously a health risk in and of itself and is not the only delivery method. It would seem that the emphasis on smoking marijuana also leads to a credibility problem from advocates. Holding up sick patients is an ironic smoke screen; most of the advocates for medical marijuana are not terminally or chronically ill individuals; if the advocates for medical marijuana were advocating for the transfer of cannabis into a prescription drug in tablet or other form, there would be a lot less resistance.

Why shouldn't logic and reason guide our medical community. For years now we have said that cannabis has had no real medical value without really understanding what it is. It has taken the few individual states to say "Hey there might be something to this cannabis thing." Everything on Earth should be given a chance to work for our benefit. Most of all logic and reason should be given a chance to work for our benefit.

We could have helped so many people years ago as well as now with the possible benefits of Cannabis. We should find out inconclusively if there are benefits, or not . That shouldn`t even be a question.
Cannabis has gotten a bad name over the years, and things need to change before it`s looked at with an open mind. I say legalize.
The possibility of healing lots of folks , puting the cartels out of business, and paying off the deficit at the same time! In a year!
No, ..we shouldn`t consider THAT!

Republicans put pot on the Schedule I "narcotic" list during the Nixon regime, to "get even" with all of those pot smoking hippies in the street protesting the "war" he dragged on through two terms. Republicans have proudly kept it on the list all of these years to honor their fallen comrade. Let's hope common sense finally is used in this issue, if indeed the herb is medically useful.

Wow... you know all kidding aside this took how long for people to realize the side effect of pot were not necessarily "bad"?

We make alcohol legal to all over 21, but something like pot is illegal. The effects are milder and more controllable than alcohol. Its less addictive. Its safer. It doesn't cause liver damage. For some its a pain reliever. Its all political. Its been demonized for so long as anti-christian that its almost fanatical. Funny. Really.

Finally! It's high time the medical industry got off their high horse about marijuana. For years it has been widely known to alleviate pain, help control spasmodic muscles and help many types of cancer patients eat (and keep the food down) – my mother being one of them.
It's terrifying to watch a loved one slowly starve because of the horrible effects of the treatment they receive to kill the cancer inside them.
Not all of us are so easily led by the nose to believe the myth that marijuana is some horrible drug akin to heroin, nor half of the other trype fed to us by the powers that be.
Thank God people with intelligence and ethics are finally calling for change. Not just calling for it, but taking action.
It's high time for change. (And yes... I used the word "high" intentionally.)

Interesting to note that the article states "that marijuana should be reconsidered as a Schedule I drug so that wider studies can be conducted that may establish that it is worthy of prescription drug status." So in other words they want to take a natural plant that works and turn it's ingredients into a patented prescription medicine sold by drug companies instead of something mother nature provided for free. Figures the profit motive is always lurking. I am also sure that the prescription version will have worse side effects and possibly lethal ones that the natural one does not have.

This is an exciting move and I am glad to see it. My sister suffers from MS and has severe side effects from her prescribed medication that disables her for 24 to 48 hours. I think this substnace can help so many people with pain and anxiety with the only side effect being the munchies and a calmed mind.

The hysteria surrounding marijuana use stems, in my opinion, from all of the propaganda created and circulated by the federal government as justification for banning it's legal use and including it in the category of, "Dangerous drugs." The motives for this could probably be debated for years. I applaud the AMA for improving it's stance on this subject. At the same time, it seems to me to be a bit like the Catholic church waiting until 1953 to remove the writings of Galileo from the banned reading list. Should they really be applauded when it took them so long to admit to something that has been self evident for years? Probably not.

Interesting question you ask. Should marijuana be taken of the Schedule 1 list of condemned substances called drugs? It should never have been there in the first place. How arrogant of us putting a plant made by God (unless you know of how else it got here) on a list of man made products. Of course, the same folks that want marijuana on the Schedule 1 list also don't want any scientific studies to prove it never belonged there in the first place. When ever these kinds of really absurd conflicts end up like this, marijuana being compared to a man-made drug and put on a man-made drug list that prevents its scientific evaluation, you need to follow the money.

I grew up in Utah, a conservative, religious state, and was taught that marijuana was bad, that it was a recreational drug with no good benefits and that it was to be avoided at all costs. I was told that it was a gateway drug that would lead down the slippery slope towards using other hard-core drugs like crack and heroine. I believed what I had been told with all my heart.

When I got older, in my late 20's, I moved out of Utah and started working with people with chronic diseases who used medical marijuana to alleviate those symptoms. At first, it really, REALLY bothered me that people would use this illegal substance at all, but then, I opened my eyes and saw how it actually was helping them. For example - and this is just one, people who were so sick that they would throw up shortly after eating, would smoke a joint and then eat and not throw up.

It took a couple of years for me to realize that what I had been taught was not true. After seeing with my own eyes, I have come to understand that there are medicinal uses for this herb (just like aspirin, which was originally extracted from willow leaves). It is true, it can be used as a recreational drug, but used correctly it has powerful medicinal value. The government regulates other medicinal substances, and I have come to truly believe that it should reclassify marijuana in such a way so that it can be used legally as a medicine. The stigma attached to its usage, and the persecution of people who can really benefit from it's qualities, needs to end. Twenty years ago I would never have said this, but I welcome the AMA's decision as a first step - and this comes from a person now in his 40's who does not use nor need to use marijuana.

Yes, I agree. It should have never been a schedule 1 to begin with. A student of narcotic prohibition, the congressional hearings which led to its original prohibition were a joke and the committee formed by Nixon to study mj even recommended it be legalized.

Hurry up and legalize it!

Indeed marijuana should be removed from Schedule 1, it should never have been catagorized that way in the first place. Marijuana is not addictive as heroine, cociaine and the other such classified drugs. It offers lucid, dream like moments and calming effects, however one can not overdose, nor smoke so much that it will become toxic and die akin to alcohol which has no regulations other than age restrictions.

There are many benefits that this plant (not just the THC) can offer. Due to the THC portion having been classified this way, the entire genus have been illigelized. Clothing and other materials made of the strong hemp fibers last longer and are more durable. Oils from the plant are better for the human body with less allergic reactions, and can be used in makeup and lotions.

It is time to rethink this plant, that can grow anywhere with little water, cultivation or adverse effects on land. Unlike cotton which requires pesticides, power equipment that eats up fossil fuels and in years past back breaking labor. Cotton plantation owners lobbied to have weed illegalized. We no longer have plantations nor slavery, it's time to rethink and change the laws to benefit the whole.

Marijuana will never go away, it has been a blackmarket product making millions for some for years. It's time for the US to really look into the benefits this plant can offer, especially monetary. Tax it, control it, legalize it.

Of course medical marijuana should be legal. Just sit around the television for a half hour and watch the number of commercials for the legal prescription pharmaceuticals being pushed on us. Listen to the incredible and dangerous side effects of all of these drugs then stop to think about the side effects of marijuana. Euphoria? Doesn't sound too bad does it? A little research shows the countless situations in which marijuana can be beneficial as a medicine. By definition marijuana should never have been considered a class 1 drug. Take a look at the history of marijuana being used in medicines before its criminalization. Clearly this drug has value in medicine, to think otherwise is just plainly ignorant.

Personally, I don't care what any person has to say about the pot I smoke – I gave up on most American institutions a long time ago. Considering this country's pharmaceutical track record, it's high time to leave the medieval thought process behind when considering pot as acceptable means for therapeutic advances if humans are to make significant progress in our overall quality of life for future generations. I stress the term 'medieval thinking', because it's laughable that my government would rather put me on a drug cocktail to counteract the side effects of the side effects then leave me alone with a plant I can grow by myself. Legalize it, study it, and create a man-made concoction to give people in a pill or needle? No thanks – you're missing the point. It is from this earth, and in it's natural form is good enough for me, my grandfathers, and friends and family who can see through the ridiculous stigma that marijuana has given. Do what you want AMA, it doesn't change the bottom line.

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I applaud the AMA's new position. Absolutely, medical marijuana should be removed from Schedule 1 status - it should never have been on that list in the first place. Let there be clinical trials on marijuana's ability to help the afflicted and the results published in peer-reviewed journals. Only then will the debates subside.

Medical marijuana is a red herring issue.
1) Legalize marijuana for recreational purposes
2) Allow citizens to grow their own plants
3) Take money away from the Mexican drug cartels
4) Save DEA dollars -stop arresting smokers

Marijuana smoking Americans pay taxes. Let’s keep it that way and avoid spending billions on jails cells for people who want to smoke.

marijuana should be legal because there is no legitimate reason why it shouldn't be. It's less harmful than alcohol. There is a voracious demand for it. Too many successful, productive, and otherwise law-abiding citizen's are partaking, and prosecuting them is a waste of valuable resources. It's the government acknowledged what the rest of civilized society already knows. No wonder we're headed for another civil war, and I welcome one.

The pot "problem" has hardly been the fault of the AMA. The liquor, tobacco, big pharma and clothing lobbies don't want the competition. It's all about money. Once it can be proven that weed is a cash cow and will improve so many things for the public, it will be de-criminalized in a state-by-state basis, as abortion ought to be treated. If California likes it, legalize it, if Oklahoma doesn't, keep it illegal. You can always move.

Marijuana is just a plant. You cannot overdose on it like you can with other drugs or medications, it has definite medical benefits that have been shown over and over again. It seems that misinformation has put a very useful substance on a black list unfairly.

I don't see any thing wrong with marijuana. You can't O.D. on it...
like you can almost every other drug. You don't have to smoke it,
to benefit from it's use. Yes, more studies need to be done on
it's effects and possible long term addiction. As with all drugs
there should be limits. We don't want airline pilots smoking a
"fatty" before take off. But I wouldn't care if that same person
went home for the day, and smoked out and watched cartoons.
We should have that right to do that. If it calms you down or
makes you feel mellow, after a hard day at work... so be it.
Is it any worse than getting drunk and having a "hang-over"
the next day? (I think not)
I haven't smoked weed since college, but I would start up today
if it were legal!!! It is a far better "buzz" than drinking or taking pain
pills. And it comes from mother earth. It has several other uses
other than just smoking it. You can make rope, paper, etc... with it.
Do your studies and get this stuff on the market so more people
can "legally" benefit from it. Hurry... cause I'm waiting!!!
*p.s.*
I know so many people that do smoke weed, and most of them are
well to do people in our society. (not the gangster on the street corner)
If the secret got out, about just how many people smoked, you'd be
amazed!!!!
Thanks for letting me share my thoughts on this matter

The AMA in my opinion has done a good thing by making room for more detailed studying of medical marijuana...although Im not a
person who deals with smoke of any kind, my lungs carry no entry signs. I do feel that those who have serious health issues and benefit
greatly by using medical marijuana should continue to rally those
who make the rules. If i were in renlenting pain and knew of a relief
I would be first in line to insert new regulations so that i would not
suffer. It is an ongoing battle because of fear....some feel that recreational users would increase and then law enforcement would
not be in control. However if all is viewed correctly and handled with
the notion that it is only for those who are in need then I dont forsee any problems.

Limited research has so far seen positive results.The THC
keeps the immune system at a steady level,it seems to
prevent Alzheimers,it helps in Arthritis,THC seems to attack
cancer cells but doesn's bother normal cells.Does much
more need to be said???

This is a step in the right direction, but at the end of the day, legalization of marijuana should not be settled on its medical value. We don't require the same for alcohol or cigarettes, both which are arguably much more dangerous to individuals and society as a whole and have established far less medical benefits.

We spend billions of dollars a year on law enforcement, prosecution, and incarceration for simple marijuana usage. Meanwhile, in the US, we continue to see brutal murders, kidnappings, and child molestations committed every day. We would be better served by shifting the resources we use to enforce outdated marijuana laws and focusing them instead on real criminal activities.

Because of the illegality of marijuana, billions more flow directly to hideous drug cartels. According to a CNN report earlier this year, 65-70% of the drug trade in Mexico is based on marijuana. Cutting off 70% of the revenues from illegal drug traffickers will do far more damage to them then the ineffective efforts of American and Mexican agencies.

It is time for America to have a mature, thoughtful policy on medical and casual marijuana usage. Age limits, intoxication limits and home growing limits could be set just as they are for alcohol. There are far better ways to spend the billions now wasted on marijuana law enforcement and supporting illegal drug activities.

It's about time!!!! It's one of the more harmless drugs out there in terms of side effects yet it's classified along with drugs like heroin and crack both of which can kill you with a simple overdose. When's the last time someone OD'd on weed? They would die of smoke inahilation first. The simple fact that half of the states in the US already have laws that allow for medicinal use of marijuana should tell you that we really don't need to study it more. We just need to open our eyes. Marijuana has been the bullseye for our war against drugs for decades, by making movies (Reefer Madness) that show people going crazy after smoking it and by labelling it a gateway drug that leads to other drugs use. Both of which are prepostorous. The gov't has sponsored studies that were never published because they didn't provide the results they were looking for so they just swept them under the rug and pretended like the studies never took place. I find it refreshing that our adminstration now has taken a more common sensical approach with it. Stop wasting money jailing people for having small amounts in their possession and start openning their minds to the potential uses of it.

The next step would be legalize it fully. Control and tax it.

I agree that scientific controlled experiments need to take place. This cannot continue to be a discussion based on what people "want". That's ridiculous; other drugs are not on statewide bills to be voted on!! A thorough investigation with FDA approval needs to occur before we decide whether it is a good idea or not. Marijuana should be treated as a possible medication not as a recreational drug.

Yes, it does have great medical benefits! i have had surgury multiple times on my right bicep due to an injury that i received when i was in the military. i continues to alleviate pain. this isnt the only benefit ethier! there are many responsible/law abiding citizens that get incarcerated due to simple possesions. that is a watse of mine and your tax dollars! rapists, murderers, violent criminals should be arrested! not resonsible marijuana users. also making this legal (not just medically) will have great economic values! Feds will have a huge increase in revenue if it were to be taxed! it would also be ecofriendly as we can use hemp to make clothes, paper, rope, shoes, etc!!!!

I believe that people should educate themselves before making a decision. One needs to go back to the thirties, review the congressional records and see how and why cannabis (it was not called marijuana then) was made illegal.

In my own research, the evidence for the medical uses of cannabis is overwhelming. Personal disclosure; I do not smoke pot. The evidence that we should legalize, tax and control cannabis like alcohol is likewise overwhelming. Why would we leave cannabis in the hands of organized crime (as it is in many cases) to make millions and to decide if our children have access or not? Ask any child; it is easier to procure cannabis than it is to get alcohol.

It is very unusual for adults to become addicted to anything. Almost all addicts started using the substances as teenagers. Their brains are still fluid and are not ready for alcohol and drugs. Before anyone tries to tell me that prohibition works I say this; you tried it for 12 plus years with alcohol before you gave up and you been trying for 70 years with cannabis. Has the situation improved? No!!! More children than ever are smoking pot. Pot is NOT dangerous for adults but it can be for children.

No system is perfect but legalization, taxation and control are far better than prohibition which......will NEVER work.

How can Marijuana even be lumped in the same group as heroin. It is preposterous to think that it has no place in medicine. I fully support the AMA's decision to reconsider.

Marijuana is safer than almost any prescription drug on the market. When is the last time you heard of someone over dosing on Marijuana. Never. I bet you know someone who has overdosed on a sleep aid, pain killer, anxiety med, or some other "Government approved drug". The only reason it is still illegal is because the government wants us hooked on their drugs and not our own.

I agree that marijuana should be taken off it's Sched I Status. This should and hopefully would stop SOME of these arguments. Plenty of research has been done for us to have gotten this far. Let's keep it up and learn as much as we can about this plant!

It is silly to totally outlaw something that you have not studied. It takes me back to G.I. Joe, Knowing is half the battle.

To me this should be a non issue. How many times do we hear about some drug being pulled off the market because of some horrible side effects. I dont think the AMA will ever endorse medical marijuana because of the drug company lobbies in Washington. If medical marijauna can do all the things people claim, it would put the drug companies out of business. I do think that there should be more testing done so the public can know what the benifets are. There are all sorts of claims about hash oil being able to cure cancer. It's time we find out for sure. As for the non medical uses, I'm all for that too. I live in L.A. county, it may as well be Amsterdam. No one I've met that has a script really has a medical reason. People like getting high. So what. If they beleive that smoking pot is helping them, then who are we to say different. It's just the placebo effect. Marijuana is an amazing plant with all sorts of uses and benefits, it's time we start exploring these options, and stop letting politics or misguided social stigmas hold us back.

OF COURSE it should be legalized! Marijuana has never been shown to kill even 1 person from it's use. Compare that to cigarettes, which is legal, kills over 400,000 people a year & contains over 100 toxic chemicals. It's a clear decision in my book...

I think that the government needs to go ahead and legalize medical marijuana. We have been dipping around the idea for years and it's time to put your foot in your mouth and legalize it. Everybody knows it isn't as harmful for you as cigarettes and alcohol. But yet nobody seems to care the health issue on these drugs but for some reason we feel the need to put marijuana under a microscope....

I believe it should be legalized. It indeed, has proven to be effective in treating pain. The fact that they were "small" studies is just indicitive of the fact that our Government was more interested in arresting people than studying pot. It would be an embarrassment to them to find it useful in any context. There does not need to be a study as to the fact that pot makes a person want to eat. This is pure common knowledge. If the government wishes to make it a "prescription drug", that is simply a waste of taxpayer money. It is not any more dangerous than cigarettes or liquor and we need the funds spent trying to put pot smokers and pot dealers in jail on more serious issues.

Any smoke in your lungs is noxious for your health. However, by removing the Schedule I classification we can study marihuana further and make solid, scientific determinations with regards to other means of consumption and their risks and benefits. Currently you can inhale vapor from marijuana leafs and retain similar effects to smoking, this could also serve a valid alternative for pain and spasm relief. Vapor is not nearly as noxious, and may even be healthy to induce vapor therapy using cannabinoids. It would be a perfect world if your doctor would supervise marijuana vapor therapy three times a week. Outstanding.

It's about time that doctors and scientist's start speaking the truth instead of holding up the stance that congress and politicians want them to hold! legalize marijuana across the board , just regulate it like you do with alcohol and tobacco! the economy need's it and prohibition didn't work in the 30's and 40's and i doesn't work now!

The studies that support effectiveness of cannabinoids for chronic pain (and everything else) are hopelessly biased. Maybe getting a few double blinded studies done will clear the air, but I doubt it. Everyone I have ever encountered, who raved about about how much smoking pot helped their disease, was a pot smoker (and often a user of other drugs as well) before they got their disease and, in my opinion, was just using their disease as an excuse to continue their recreational drug use. That being said, I think we waste way too much money trying to control drug use; we will never stop it.

There is no randomized, large scale, double blind studies either supporting or refuting cannabis' ability to improve, harm or be neutral towards virtually any disease state. The federal government stopped the research arm of cannabis by declaring it Schedule 1 – despite overwhelmingly well controlled studies proclaiming its safety. There are NO drugs that truly have NO therapeutic advantages. For crying out loud, we use a cardiac toxin (heart poison) to treat heart failure! We use rat poison (warfarin) to prevent blood clots and stroke. For the federal government to claim these known poison's are safe to use under medical scrutiny, but cannabis – which has been proven to be virtually impossible to overdose on – has no therapeutic benefit clearly reveals the role science plays in Washington when it comes to setting medical policy.

The only thing that amazes me more than the developement of television commercials to advertise prescription drugs (I trust my doctor- if I need a prescription, he should tell me, not a 30 second commercial) is the littany of side effects that seem attached to each of these drugs, many of which sound worse than the affliction they are meant to treat. In a world where relief for dry eyes may be accompanied by runny or loose stool, stiff neck, temporary blindness, inability to sneeze, etc. etc., the side effects of medicinal marijuana will be a welcome relief. Imagine, a natural treatment for a multitude of symptoms whose side effects are limited to things like increased appetite, extreme relaxation, and proclivity to laugh hysterically. I fail to see the down side here.

I do agree that marijuana should be examined and studied by the AMA. After learning about the way in which marijuana was criminalized, I have serious doubts about the Schedule I status that the drug now carries. It seems as if that designation was based upon political motives and scare-tactic propaganda.

I am also interested to hear about other ways that the drug can be ingested. Inhaling a combusted substance can't be good in any context, but other (edible, etc.) ways to reap the possible benefits of the drug might be less harmful. I have wondered why this specific issue hasn't been more widely examined.

Finally. 72 years later? I dont know. Im hoping by the 73 year however, it will be reclassified as sch. 2 and grant any state the permission it requests for treated patients. Honestly legaliztion should be out of the question. but legalization fork medical reasons? absolutely.

I cannot debate the merits or lack there of for medical purposes and no one without a medical backround should. What I am an expert at is the problems we already have in our high schools and I see the marijuana problem getting worse if more people can access medical marajuana therefore I think it should stay as a Schedule 1 drug.

This is way past due, in my opinion. Cannabis has been around a lot longer than the AMA and many individuals from all socioeconomic groups, as well as, differing cohorts attest to it's medical/recreational value. Prohibition of Cannabis has always been about political advantages afforded a few with governmental clout whose true agenda has always been to subjugate the poor and minority populations while lining the pockets of select corporate organizations. Prohibition of Cannabis has never been about protecting the health and well-being of society.
Thanks to the dedicated and tireless efforts of the drug reform community and organizations such as Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, the public is beginning to unravel the spurious amalgam of lies perpetuated throughout the decades about Cannabis. Hopefully, this marks a departure from the dark ages of Draconian drug policy and guides humanity toward a well-deserved Renaissance of logically, scientifically-based research where truth and the advancement of reason prevails.

Absolutely the classification of Schedule I status should be changed! My mother has progressive MS and her leg spasms sometime are unbearable. If smoking a prescribed joint is what gets her through her already painful and difficult day, then what is the issue?? People who are sick deserve to feel better – even if it is temporary – and should be respected enough by people making these decisions to honor their needs at any given time.

I am a cancer survivor. I had my digestive system re-sectioned becuase from the removal of the cancer in my esophagus and stomach. I smoked marijuana with the blessing of my doctor. It was the one substance that relieved my nausea and helped me to acquire an appetite that I sorely needed.

I think the laws that are in place are antiquated and were put in place by a Nixon administration for the purpose of carrying out Nixon's prejudice against the youth/hippies of his era.

I think it is about time to start the research and trials for this drug so that others like me can have a more comfortable life and gain the relief and advantages that marijuana offers.

i do think it should be taken off the schedule 1 status. it is effective in helping people with ms not only in decreasing the side effects from drugs they take but also in decreasing the symptoms of ms. it helps people with this disease greatly. it also helps in increasing appetite for people on kemo. it can also be used to help people with chronic pain and is much safer than the opium based alternative. it is much less addictive than the current pain drugs out there. i dont really understand how this can even be argued. the government needs to wake up to the reality that this medicinal plant is helping millions of people, and stop this prohibition.

The government is medicating everybody for everything but they want to lock up or fine marijuana users. NOW they want to be able to be the only ones to monitor it for medical use!!!? Once again the government is trying to make money off users. I'm all for it being legalized, it's better than drinking but it should be able to be gotten by anyone over 18, sick or not.

I agree with the AMA. Israel is already doing what the U.S. should be doing. Israel has the biggest research on medical marijuana in the world. Google Israel and medical marijauna research and see what they have to say about the subject

If science can rule the day and not religious beliefs then maybe studies can actually take place to determine the benefits, if any of Medical Marijuana.

If it has been proven that it can help, then a very limited number of people should have it. In California it is a joke, if you have a sore toe you can get it and as with all drugs there are serious side effects. If it is legalized, there must be very strict limits on who can get it and places that are dispensing it must be normal pharmacies just like other drugs.

In its official response to the AMA’s recent call for a review of marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug (barring any medical use) under federal law, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy stated that it would defer to “the FDA’s judgment that the raw marijuana plant cannot meet the standards for identity, strength, quality, purity, packaging and labeling required of medicine.”

While we’re not used to factual accuracy from ONDCP, in this case they’re wrong not once, but twice.

First, there is absolutely no reason that plant medicines can’t be standardized and controlled for purity and potency. Indeed, the Netherlands has been doing just that for years, with medical marijuana distributed in Dutch pharmacies that is “of pharmaceutical quality and complies with the strictest requirements,” according to the Dutch government.

Second, the FDA has never said that a natural plant product can’t be a medicine. Indeed the agency has a lengthy “Guidance for Industry: Botanical Drug Products,” specifically designed to aid developers of plant medicines. The document not only doesn’t rule out plants as medicines, it even states, “In the initial stage of clinical studies of a botanical drug, it is generally not necessary to identify the active constituents or other biological markers or to have a chemical identification and assay for a particular constituent or marker.” Given that the active components of marijuana are already well-known and extensively researched, marijuana is well ahead of where the FDA says plant products need to be to start the process of seeking FDA licensing.

Does anybody see how the comments from the public are virtually ALL pro-marijuana? How is it everybody in the country wants it available except the law makers? Could it be the pharmaceutical companies don't want us to have free medicine instead of paying them $20/pill for their new wonder drug?
Classifying marijuana the same as heroin is ludicrous and obviously silly to everybody. So, where is the opposition to legalization? Is there anybody other than a religious nut or a paid for politician in favor of keeping it illegal? What are they afraid of?
We have forgotten what The Land of the Free means.

I have MS and I know for a fact that Marijuana helps with my neuropathic pain. They outlawed Marijuana after the country was overrun with Mexicans in the 30's and made them look like the bad guy that was going to sell pot on every streetcorner in America.

The war on drugs, including prohibition does not work. They could wipe out the national debt, pay for health care reform and a number of other initiatives if the legalized it, TAXED IT and sold it like cigarettes.

The United States Government needs to wake up and at least conduct clinical trials. They might find they could help us sufferers more cheaply and cost effectively!

I think anyone that has a legitimate reason to use marijuana should be able too. What's laughable is all the yahoos using the medical cards just so they can get high. It's these people that make these programs illigitimate and will screw everyone that actually can benefit from the drug. Just like cigarette smokers wondering why their rights are being taken away at the same time they blow smoke in someones face at a restraunt.

Yeah, I have an issue with it. My son who was raised to know better smokes it. He is failing in college, he smokes cigarettes now too. He defends the weed like his life depends on it. All these medical pot sites know that they are a thinly covered veil for what they are really there for. We all know it's a big scam. All that cancer these people are so called getting relief from is probably cancer they got from smoking the stuff to begin with. It's a fact that one joint is worse and has more cancer toxin than a manufactured cigarette. How about good old Linda Macartney and her vegan lifestyle? She was well known to smoke the stuff and where is she? How about all the other 50 plus individuals who have been loaded most of their lives? They look great don't they? No medical problems at all right? I'm 50 and still get taken for 35 because I didn't abuse my body. My 54 year old brother smoked pot his whole life and he looks like he's 75 years old and by the way, we don't talk anymore because of all the family issues this caused. I don't know if any benefit if in fact there is any, would justify the pain and suffering this weed causes families. I can say I don't think it does. So put that in your pipe and smoke it!

I'm a little surprised to read so many comments from people who clearly don't understand much about the various properties of marijuana. Marijuana contains a great many cannabinoids (well over 60), many of them may have medical benefits. The people who think that THC pills would be a simple solution, simply don't understand what is involved with a rather complex mixture of cannabinoids that effect someone who uses marijuana. CBD is another cannabinoid that has substantial medical benefits, and is the primary substance in marijuana that helps with nausea and inflammation. It is often thought to be the quantity as well as the ratio of CBD to THC that gives a specific strain of the plant it's unique effects. When the AMA says they want to study marijuana's medical potential, you can rest assured that their findings will inevitably be based on how the pharmaceutical industry can make the most money from cannabis based medicines, and not on what would best benefit the people who need help (that will just be a secondary result). Medical marijuana is a very beneficial treatment for many ailments, and should be used in it's natural form. The AMA will just be finding a way to ensure that giant corporate interests will be making huge profits from their research. Remember that marijuana is currently illegal to a large extent, because it is a huge threat to the alcohol and cotton industries. Perhaps the potential financial gains that would go along with reclassifying marijuana, are now perceived as too tempting to resist for the greedy corporations that own our government.

I have glaucoma and have found marijuana to control it at a lower cost than the drug prescribed by my doctor, and with more benign side-effects. However, there are only a limited number of studies confirming its efficacy. I welcome serious research in this area.

The day it is OK for YOUR KID'S SCHOOL BUS DRIVER to light up a doobie after work is the day we can talk about legalizing marijuana. Until then, it is an idiotic proposition.

The most potent argument against the use of marijuana to treat medical disorders is that marijuana may cause the acceleration or aggravation of the very disorders it is being used to treat.

Smoking marijuana regularly (a joint a day) can damage the cells in the bronchial passages which protect the body against inhaled microorganisms and decrease the ability of the immune cells in the lungs to fight off fungi, bacteria, and tumor cells. For patients with already weakened immune systems, this means an increase in the possibility of dangerous pulmonary infections, including pneumonia, which often proves fatal in AIDS patients.

Studies further suggest that marijuana is a general "immunosuppressant" whose degenerative influence extends beyond the respiratory system. Regular smoking has been shown to materially affect the overall ability of the smoker�s body to defend itself against infection by weakening various natural immune mechanisms, including macrophages (a.k.a. "killer cells") and the all-important T-cells. Obviously, this suggests the conclusion, which is well-supported by scientific studies, that the use of marijuana as a medical therapy can and does have a very serious negative effect on patients with pre-existing immune deficits resulting from AIDS, organ transplantation, or cancer chemotherapy, the very conditions for which marijuana has most often been touted and suggested as a treatment. It has also been shown that marijuana use can accelerate the progression of HIV to full-blown AIDS and increase the occurrence of infections and Kaposi�s sarcoma. In addition, patients with weak immune systems will be even less able to defend themselves against the various respiratory cancers and conditions to which consistent marijuana use has been linked, and which are discussed briefly under "Respiratory Illnesses."

The main respiratory consequences of smoking marijuana regularly (one joint a day) are pulmonary infections and respiratory cancer, whose connection to marijuana use has been strongly suggested but not conclusively proven. The effects also include chronic bronchitis, impairment in the function of the smaller air passages, inflammation of the lung, the development of potentially pre-cancerous abnormalities in the bronchial lining and lungs, and, as discussed, a reduction in the capabilities of many defensive mechanisms within the lungs.

Marijuana smoke and cigarette smoke contain many of the same toxins, including one which has been identified as a key factor in the promotion of lung cancer. This toxin is found in the tar phase of both, and it should be noted that one joint has four times more tar than a cigarette, which means that the lungs are exposed four-fold to this toxin and others in the tar. It has been concretely established that smoking cigarettes promotes lung cancer (which causes more than 125,000 deaths in the US every year), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (chronic bronchitis and emphysema) and increased incidence of respiratory tract infections. This implies, but does not establish, that smoking marijuana may lead to some of the same results as smoking cigarettes. It is notable that several reports indicate an unexpectedly large proportion ofmarijuana users among cases of lung cancer and cancers of the oral cavity,pharynx, and larynx. Thus, it appears that the use of marijuana as a medicine has the potential to further harm an already ill patient in the same way that taking up regular cigarette smoking would, particularly in light of the fact that those patients for whom marijuana is recommended are already poorly equipped to fight off these infections and diseases.

It has been suggested that marijuana is at the root of many mental disorders, including acute toxic psychosis, panic attacks (one of the very conditions it is being used experimentally to treat), flashbacks, delusions, depersonalization, hallucinations, paranoia, depression, and uncontrollable aggressiveness. Marijuana has long been known to trigger attacks of mental illness, such as bipolar (manic-depressive) psychosis and schizophrenia. This connection with mental illness should make health care providers for terminally ill patients and the patients themselves, who may already be suffering from some form of clinical depression, weigh very carefully the pros and cons of adopting a therapeutic course of marijuana.

In the short term, marijuana use impairs perception, judgment, thinking, memory, and learning; memory defects may persist six weeks after last use. Mental disorders connected with marijuana use merit their own category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) IV, published by the American Psychiatric Association. These include Cannabis Intoxication (consisting of impaired motor coordination, anxiety, impaired judgment, sensation of slowed time, social withdrawal, and often includes perceptual disturbances; Cannabis Intoxication Delirium (memory deficit, disorientation); Cannabis Induced Psychotic Disorder, Delusions; Cannabis Induced Psychotic Disorder, Hallucinations; and Cannabis Induced Anxiety Disorder.

In addition, marijuana use has many indirect effects on health. Its effect on coordination, perception, and judgment means that it causes a number of accidents, vehicular and otherwise.

I keep reading all of these negative responses and wonder why we continue to browbeat others who do not agree with our opinion. Obviously for whatever reason the Federal Government and certain state and local governments have decided that there is some benefit. Also the AMA which for 72 years has been against this very issue is saying, why not look, and investigate if this WEED can be potentially beneficial to people who experience bad side effects or in their own mind feel like they are getting some benefits from the use. Smoking, eating, vaporizing this plant seems like a mirror image of a placebo placed in a controlled drug study.
I will not agree that the burning of anything and then ingesting the smoke is not good. To that end i know plenty of 80 year old smokers and plenty of 80 year old non smokers, I feel that it is more hereditary issues that cause degradation of life, including the chemicals that we inhale or ingest due to their being added to our food chain.

Those who point out "negative effects" on the lungs are not aware of the vaporizor. Those who point out negative psychological effects have not studied *medical* marijuana. It is quite different from "street" marijuana and does not have the same effects. All of this points to the need for futher research.

The old arguments against smoking pot no longer apply with the new methods of adminstration and genetically-engineered strains.

Stormy, your linking of lung cancer and marijuana use is extremely misleading. I would like to point you in the direction of this Washington Post article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052501729.html

And dee, I have seen the same exact comment you just made – word for word, verbatim – on many other different forums and websites. I do not know why it spreads around the way it does – perhaps it's a technique prohibitionists are using (scare tactics..how surprising).

So because I have read that same exact comment many, many times, you are phony and there is no credibility in your comment.

I have smoked since age 13, and now at age 24 I can not say that I regret it in any way. In fact, if I hadn't been a smoker who had aquired alot of insight over the years about all things cannabis, I would not have known to or had the know how to avail myself of the medicinal benifits of cannabis when Ehlers Danlos Syndrome began ruining my life with crippling agony in and around the neck and back.

This genetic condition has progressed slowly most of my life, causing back pain and strange injuries that seemed to happen for no reason, but about 2-3 years ago the pain became unbearable and never yeilding. My body is now very prone to joint popping, grinding, dislocations, over extension...... The pain is so bad 24/7, that I could not live without strong pain medications. Cannabis makes my life possible to go on without euthenasia. I would have no tolerable quality of life and no future without cannabis.

It drastically decreases my need for toxic, addictive drugs like opiates, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, anxiety meds, anti depressants... and makes it possible for me to keep from vomiting up the medicines I do take or the food and drink I consume. It is the most effective pain reliver next to opiates, but lacks the addiction, the toxicity of opiates, and when used together they have maximum effect, while reducing the dosage needed for each. Cannabis helps me eat well, it helps me get what little sleep is possible for me, and it helps improve my attitude and coping immensly.

Without Cannabis I would be at the mercy of doctors and the addictive poisons that they are alowed to offer patients. I would be in a constant state of unspeakable tourture from intense chrionic pain, nausea, addiction and sleep deprivation leading to suicidal depression.

I will fight this drug war against the system until it kills me or we kill it. I don't have a choice. I am fighting for my life and the lives of all those imprisoned and otherwised victimized by this government's insanity.

I'd also like to add that I have the highest dose perscription for dronabinol (generic for marinol) THC pills. They are so weak in the 1 activ compound, I find even eating the whole months supply in one sitting to still be useless as medicine. At $800 a month, its an condemnable fraud against the chronically ill.

legalize it already DAMNIT!!!!!!

Organic & Pesticide free thats how we want our medicine to be!
Lets not coerce folks to use Addictive Opiate based painkillers that have a chance for LETHAL overdose if it does fall into the wrong hands(like so many prescription pills already do).Plus we already know Vaporizers do a good job of realeasing the plant components with few carcinogens. All we really need is a labeled breakdown of cannibinoids and a sealable package. And if BIG PHARMA wants to jump in they should just hire some industy insiders to help isolate strains and grow large mono-culture crop for consistancy!

1. there are ALLREADY over 17,000 scientific studies, all reaching a pro-pot conclusion.
we really don't need more study.

2. there is a big debate on the issue of the ACTUAL SCIENCE (pro-pot) versus political ideology (anti-pot) going on now in england, go to google news and look up "nutt, sacked".

3. the THC pill is schedule 3.

4. if the THC pill is medically efficatious, how can pot have no medical value?
that is like saying a vitimin C pill is good, but oranges are bad / useless / ineffective.

Since Marinol is already a Schedual III drug we must admit to oursleves that it is already commonly accepted THC has medical use, and is available for prescription with refill. If we are going to consider this then we must conclude that either: A)The active component of Cannabis that makes you "high" is not THC. OR: B)That THC(and the natural mechanism of pruduction Cannabis) is only as harmful as a Schedual III drug! How could it be both?!? As long as Vaporization is used it is no different than using current inhalor technology.

Ameet and Stormy-back it up with facts not Gov propaganda

This comment is addressed to "Stormy".
Your information is absolutely false, and could only come from anti-marijuana propagandists with absolutely no basis in scientific or medical studies. Either you are are a bald faced liar, or you are spreading the lies you have read without any basis in fact. Either way, you are spreading absolutely false information, and are one of the people who could stand to benefit most from actual medical research, seeing as you are completely ignorant of any valid information on this subject. Please bear in mind that I do have sympathy for mentally challenged individuals, but do not believe that this forum is the appropriate venue for you to voice your fantasies. In fact, there is absolutely no evidence that marijuana has any adverse effect on the immune system. A recent large scale study conducted at UCLA, with the intended purpose to prove that marijuana did in fact cause cancer, unexpectedly came to the exact opposite conclusion; that marijuana absolutely does not cause cancer. To state that marijuana contributes to bipolar disorder, depression, and an array of mental difficulties and may cause uncontrollable aggressiveness is ridiculous propaganda that is obviously intended for people who have absolutely no knowledge of the effects of marijuana. In fact, anyone who has ever suffered from these problems, and has smoked marijuana regularly would tell you that it is very helpful with the treatment of these symptoms. There exists no evidence that marijuana has any adverse effects on the bronchial system, as a matter of fact, there is absolutely no credible basis for claiming that marijuana has any adverse effects on health in any way whatsoever. Please save your propaganda for people who have no knowledge of marijuana. If the AMA does condone serious studies with the aim at determining the possible medical benefits of marijuana, instead of trying to scare everyone into believing the ridiculous, and baseless propaganda that the government has been spreading for decades, Americans will be able to legally benefit from what we were once told was such a dangerous substance. Remember that for several decades, very wealthy and powerful industries (ie. tobacco and alcohol) have been promoting bogus anti-marijuana propaganda in order to keep it illegal. Ironically, the same kind of corporate greed that has kept marijuana illegal for so long, is behind the steps that are being taken to legitimise marijuana at present. There is a lot of money to be made from the sale of marijuana, and big business is getting hungry for jumping onto that wagon. Even if marijuana was harmful, the corporate money-grubbers who own our government will soon be telling you it is not. Just as many drugs that are currently available to us are questionable at best, whatever makes corporations wealthy will soon be approved by the AMA. The fact is that marijuana is not harmful, and has many beneficial properties, but it would soon be legitimised by the AMA even if it were pure poison. It's all about money in America, and in this case we may all benefit.

Well – it looks like Stormy copied and pasted his entire entry from a 1999 Student Project at Harvard named "Medical Marihuana: Cure or Catastrophe?" [sic]

No references cited in the article. The entire project was three weeks long.

Nice job dude – quoting something a rushed student possibly scribbled down the night before something was due. Its obviously editorial at not factual.

If we allow the government (FDA), or Big Pharma (aren't they the same thing, really, under the corporatism we live with?) to "regulate" and/or control marijuana production and distribution, you can pretty much count on a weak and adulterated product (witness cigarettes vs organic unprocessed tobacco).

We need to make certain this is handled by the REAL free market. Individuals should be allowed to grow their own, just as individuals are allowed to make wine and beer for their own personal use. Individuals should be allowed to sell or trade the product of their harvest, just like home tomato growers can sell their tomatoes at the farmers market or out of a stand on their own property (variety is the spice of life).

In fact we need to go back to that kind of free market for EVERYTHING! Let consumers drive the market, businesses and products should succeed or fail because consumers will vote with their purchases, not because of government mandates or bans or regulating to extremes.

I mean really, this plant has been used for thousands of years and there are not recorded overdoses. It is impossible. People that are against it have never tried it and are therefore just ignorant, but they should realize that not everyone has to try pot. It is your decision, just like it is my decision to smoke it. Everyone in this god-awful country (no pun intended) needs to just mind their own business.

Come on America (Home of the Free), why would you have cannabis schedule 1 and meth and cocaine schedule 2? I am not sure whom the U. S. Government is trying to protect from cannabis. In the thousands of years that humans have been using cannabis medicinally or spiritually, there has not been one overdose death. Now let’s compare that with those schedule 2 narcotics or even the legal ones like alcohol, sleeping pills, caffeine, or aspirin. Not to mention the prescription ones like xanax or oxycotin. Thousands of people overdose and DIE every year on these drugs. When will people open there eyes and realize people and governments have agendas and don't always tell the truth.

I know I would rather my teenagers try cannabis, that cannot kill them, then to try alcohol and die from alcohol poisoning. How many young people die every year because they do not know their limit because they are young and not experienced with the dangerous drug alcohol. Now if they have too much cannabis all that will happen is they will fall asleep...NO DEATH!!

One more point to make. Those that keep saying smoking anything is bad for you have not heard of vaporizing. Vaporizing is using heated air, not fire, to release the essential oils of the cannabis flower. No smoke (carcinogens) is produced, all you get is the cannabinoids and people THC is only one cannabinoid. There are many others in cannabis that do many great things for the human body.

Absolutely. Prohibition against marijuana is harming this country. It brings criminals across the borders and encourages drug cartels. I'm 55 years old and have tinitis. If I knew where to get the drug, I would...but what's my option? Even in my state of WA where it's legal, I can't find a doctor to recommend it. If I found a doctor, where am I suppose to get it? Should I roam the streets looking for someone who might have connections? Get real.

I think this is well over due. For cocaine and meth (schedule 2) to be considered less harmful than cannabis is absolutely crazy. Even the numerous other over-the-counter drugs that are available to anyone( even a kid can buy aspirin or tylenol) but does anyone ever consider people can overdose and die using them? There are many overdose deaths from all these legal and illegal drugs but not one person has overdosed and died from cannabis. This fact cannot be over looked any longer and things need to change! Consider alcohol, how many young people overdose and DIE every year from it but marijuana is the gateway drug? Come on now, who do you think you can fool? Not me and I'm one of those "stoners" you bash for not being intelligent. For you non-smokers it should be easy for you to figure it out.

Jesus drank wine at the Last Supper. If he would of smoked a doobie too this would all be over with already.

I am relieved that the AMA is taking this study up.
I Have had many an accident in my days and mostly I just went home and self medicated with aspirin and pot, Doctors would not help and being of hispanic origins I do not get the "good" pain drugs that are offered to most people. Thank god for that, I have met many people who have become addicted to their "good" drugs. Jackson, nicole smith and other celebrities have even been killed by over medication of prescription drugs.that would not happen with marijuana. I have been smoking for
close to 30 years and if the AMA wants a guinea pig, well here I am.
I am an insomniac with many broken bones, head injuries and other malady's that require medical marijuana. I hate the fact that my money is going to drug gangs and feel very responsible for drug wars but I am in constant pain and no doctor will subscribe me pain killers, they think all I want to do is get high. Even though I have proof of all these accidents, usually caused by other drivers running into me, doctors think that I just want to be a vegetable. WRONG, I need marijuana to control the pain. Besides I cannot afford the xpense of prescribtion drugs anyhow. and usually the drugs they offer are real dangerous stuff. Can kill ya.
Marijuana allows me to sleep much better and reduce the incredible pain I constantly feel in my back, legs, knees, neck and head.
I am afraid that the medical establishment will produce medical marijuana and then price it way above our ability to afford it so no I do not believe the AMA should make it a pill. I believe that full legalization of marijuana, along with restrictions of use when operating machinery should be the way.

Its an herb and its natural not to legalize it would just be plain stupid.

It is an annual, of up to 1 meter of height, little graft plant, with the oblong leaves, sinuosodentadas in the edges, with the petals of several colors, targets, pink, red and violets, this indicates findrxonline in article, with a dark spot in the base. The fruit is a capsule of good size. It is spread by the south of Europe, North Africa, central and South Asia and America. It exists in the Iberian Peninsula, in addition to the narcotic, another plant with similar effects, the Chelidonium majus, well-known with the names of golondrinera grass or the wanderers, verruguera grass and celidueña. Latex removes rarely from the incisions of the immature fruits and of other parts of the plant. This latex coagulates in contact with the air. The opium is a mixture of ranges, different resins, sugars and other substances, between which 20 have pharmacological activity, almost all alkaloids like: morphine, codeine, thebaine, narcobathtub, narceína and papaverina; most important of all of them it is the morphine, contained in the opium in variable proportion (3-22 %) and to which it confers his main qualities.