New Poll: 56% of Doctors Approve of Medical Marijuana
Does your doctor recognize the medicinal value of cannabis? It may be more likely than you think, according to a new survey from Medscape and WebMD. Joining in the majority of Americans, medical professionals are warming to the healing properties of marijuana and joining the fight to make it available to all.
Their survey polled 1,544 doctors across the country, most of which said that medical marijuana should be an option for their patients. The doctors responding came from more than 12 specialties and 48 states—some with existing medical marijuana laws and some without.
“The medical community is clearly saying they support using marijuana as a potential treatment option for any number of medical problems,” said WebMD Chief Medical Editor Michael W. Smith, M.D. “In fact, many doctors already prescribe it.”
However, Dr. Smith explains that doctors want more evidence and more research on the plant to provide hard scientific evidence of its benefits.
“Health professionals are still unclear as to what the long-term effects may be. The findings would indicate a strong desire to have the DEA ease the restrictions on research so that additional studies can be done to conclusively show where medical marijuana can help and where it might not.”
Currently, though the number of studies affirming the many benefits of pot are climbing, they are limited by a lack of funding and some researchers not wanting to be involved when cannabis is still considered a Schedule I substance by the federal government. In a word, they are scared, and rightfully so. In keeping marijuana a Schedule I substance, the feds retain the ability to prosecute anyone accused of possessing, growing, selling, or even researching the “drug.”
According to the survey:
- 69 percent of doctors say cannabis can aid in the treatment of certain conditions
- 67 percent say it should be a medical option for patients
- 56 percent say medical marijuana should be legal nationwide
As 10 states are currently considering new medical marijuana laws, 52 percent of doctors in those 10 states support medical marijuana legalization. Another 50 percent of doctors in states with no medical marijuana laws would like to have it legalized there too.
Used for everything from chronic pain, to depression, and debilitating seizure disorders, marijuana sadly remains the most criminalized medicine on the market. It’s a shame considering how harmless it is, particularly when compared with the pharmaceuticals making billions for corporations who care less about health and more about wealth.
Big Pharma will find a way to make it an RX drug and sell it for a high price.
My problem with this, is that I don’t feel that the majority of people wanting this to be legalized, are needing it for “health” reasons. They are kids and adults that simply want to get stoned or high all the time w/o fear of getting into trouble. I’ve known people who have smoked it repetitively for years and they now act like they operate in slow motion–very slow and seem to be a few brain cells shy of a full load. I think it makes people lazy–I’m not really convinced how using marijuana, which gets you high, can possibly be a healthy thing for the average person. I do know that as a mother of two kids, I would be mortified if my children wanted to use marijuana all the time. I agree Big Pharma pumps out all sorts of horrible and toxic drugs legally to the masses. I don’t use pharmaceutical drugs either–eat healthy and avoid processed foods is my route. But, not so sure I want everyone using something they get high from and call it healthy.
Yes, I agree fully. Do we need to add pot-heads and druggies to the vast number of dysfunctional alcoholics? We do not need to have increased taxes to support the damage they cause, as we do with drunks. And we don’t need them endangering our highways and society. The who-rah about pot is due to the unprecedented support of those who stand to befit by its acceptance–political or economic–and not due to the adverse consequence upon health and society.
I would accept your argument if LEGAL drugs weren’t killing tens of thousands of people each year; how many died from pot? (Excluding lead poisoning from police.) The main argument against recreational drugs seems to be “if I don’t want or need it then no one else should have it.” This seems to be mainly a religious objection; people “believe” drugs are bad, mkay. When the Harrison Narcotics Act was passed the top cop in the country objected and stated that the only purpose of the law was to criminalize behavior and create a crime that did not exist until the law was passed. Are leaders are good at that; how many common activities of our youth have resulted in kids being shot by cops, how many people have died BECAUSE of the “War On Drugs”. A fake war at that; google US troops in poppy fields and look at our brave lads guarding, not burning, the source of 80% of the world’s heroin. Growth that was actively prevented by the Taliban, until they became the “enemy”.
The real who-ra about “pot” is that it is a plant and was not considered a drug until the government changed the meaning of the word. Look up the lawful definition of a drug in an 1800’s Bouvier’s Law Dictionary to see that drugs were man-made, not grown.
But you must also remember that it would still have to be obtained through a medical prescription! Therefore the stoneheads is in for a real shocker!!! LOL
That’s interesting–I’m all for any real health benefits of this plant. I’ll have to check that out. I would not want anyone to suffer needlessly–but my main point was that people want it legalized not due to the “health benefits” or that they are sick and suffering from cancer–they just simply want to get high. It’s just that simple. I agree that there’s plenty of really bad stuff at the pharmacy that’s killing many people every year, and it is legal. That’s another issue. That’s why I don’t take any drugs–I don’t even use Tylenol or Ibuprofen. I’m all for natural healing and eating REAL FOOD–no processed food, no fast food/junk food, cut out the sugar–these are the things that cause cancer and cause inflammation, which in turn causes pain. Watch Food Matters and Gerson Therapy documentaries, and many others too–they will inspire people to eat healthier. It would solve so many issues.
I get it–people who like to smoke pot hate anyone like me saying anything negative about it. I’m sorry, I’ve first hand witnessed the ill effects this has had in some people’s lives. It’s not all so innocent. Some of the stuff out there now is so potent and has much more of an affect than stuff from years ago. I too get it that alcohol is legal and causes much harm to people who overuse and abuse it. I’m not promoting alcohol use or abuse of anything or any substance.
I’m torn because one part of me just wants it legal so we can just stop hearing about it all the time. I’m not going to use it ever anyway–it’s not going to affect my life. But, I do fear that it’s only going to increase it’s use in young people that have no business doing it. I really don’t think it causes kids to get really serious about life and get motivated to do great things–come on?! Really, most of the kids I’ve seen that smoke pot regularly, sit on their buttocks in their parents’ basements playing video games and then eating massive amounts of pizza and processed food–and bags of Doritos! Now that stuff WILL kill you, lol. That’s the problem!! I’m sure there’s exceptions to this of course, like there’s exceptions to anything–but I’m talking about the real majority of kids–and adults for that matter. There’s plenty of 20 somethings, even 30 somethings–still living in parents’ basements. I wasn’t looking to get into some internet “fight” with potheads by making a simple comment. So I’m going to go back to my life here and get something productive done–you all have fun smoking pot.
Hell YES!!!!!!
You are entitled to your opinion, and rights to use or not use for yourself. You should not have the right to decide for other people to, or not to, have access to legal marijuana.
It’s a proven fact that alcohol is more harmful and is associated with more crime than other drugs. Yet, alcohol is legal and can cause liver disease and kill you; it is addictive to many people. Marijuana never made anyone violent that I’ve ever heard of and it has not been proven that it leads to other drug use. Tobacco is legal; was once advertised as healthy – which was a lie, but it’s still legal. Marijuana is a weed – just a plant – that anyone can grow. I would vote to legalize it and also to allow each person to grow it if they chose to for their own use. That, at least, would take the criminal element out of the discussion!
I suffer from an acute/chronic back injury while in the US Navy, (21 years of age) 1981. At the age of 27, after L.P.N. school (’87), I tried Marijuana. It doesn’t do anything for pain. It does help my mood/disposition. I have been given over 26 different drugs. Between over eating, under eating, diarrhea, constipation, mental disorientation, uppers to get going, downers to go to sleep…Marijuana seems to cut the edge. I am not the disgruntled, short temper or angered man as I am when I have an acute situation. The additional benefit is that Marijuana is NOT an addictive drug…Marijuana is NOT a gate way drug. I have NEVER tried any other drug, Meth, Cocaine, Heroin or any other illegal drug. Fact, man invented alcohol, God created Marijuana…WHO DO YOU TRUST!!! I am focused and energetic, not lethargic or over-eating. I DO tell LEA I promote POT…At 18 years of age, you’re old enough to vote and serve in our Armed Forces, then your of age to smoke Pot!!!
LD…you’re a Jackass!!!!