Drug Watch International

MEDICAL MARIJUANA REALITY CHECK

ONDCP Feb. 2007

“Medical marijuana was supposed to be for the truly ill cancer victims and AIDS patients who could use the drug to relieve pain or restore their appetites. Yet the number of dispensaries has skyrocketed from five in 2005 to 143 by the end of 2006. In North Hollywood alone, there are more pot clinics than Starbucks.”

- Pasadena Star-News, January 21st, 2007 In Their Words: What the Experts Say:

The American Academy of Ophthalmology:

“Based on reviews by the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the Institute of Medicine and on available scientific evidence, the Task Force on Complementary Therapies believes that no scientific evidence has been found that demonstrates increased benefits and/or diminished risks of marijuana use to treat glaucoma compared with the wide variety of pharmaceutical agents now available.”

Complementary Therapy Assessment: Marijuana in the Treatment of Glaucoma, American Academy of Ophthalmology, May 2003

The American Medical Association:

“...AMA recommends that marijuana be retained in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act...AMA believes that the NIH should use its resources and influence to support the development of a smoke-free inhaled delivery system for marijuana or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to reduce the health hazards associated with the combustion and inhalation of marijuana...”

Policy Statement H-95.952, American Medical Association, http://www.ama-assn.org
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society:

“Studies completed thus far have not provided convincing evidence that marijuana or its derivatives provide substantiated benefits for symptoms of MS.”

The MS Information Sourcebook, Marijuana (Cannabis), National Multiple Sclerosis Society, September 18th, 2006 The Institute of Medicine (IOM):

“Because of the health risks associated with smoking, smoked marijuana should generally not be recommended for long-term medical use.”

Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base, Institute of Medicine, 1999

Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP, Washington, D.C. 20503
p (202) 395-6618 f (202) 395-6730

www.WhiteHouseDrugPolicy.gov