“Medical” marijuana is bad medicine and bad policy

Press release from NCADD (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.)

Medical marijuana is bad medicine and bad policy

The anecdotal reports of benefits of “medical” marijuana cannot be regarded as scientific evidence because the claimed benefits were not independently verified and quantified. The anecdotal reports do not reflect double-blind controls and hence are not free of potential confounders such as expectancy, placebo effect, and deliberate exaggeration for ideological reasons. Smoking marijuana makes you feel good but that does not mean that it is a medicine that is making you well. There are other safer medicines available for these conditions. Although the purpose of the bill is compassionate, this bill will have many unintended consequences that will hurt more people than it will help.

Smoking marijuana causes cancer and other health problems. How does that help sick people? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which opposes the use of smoked marijuana, is the federal agency that certifies what drugs are safe and those that have a medicinal benefit. In 2006, the FDA declared that marijuana has a high potential for abuse and that there is a lack of accepted safety for its use, even under medical supervision.

There is no reason why medications derived from the cannabis plant should be exempted from the FDA process. Proliferation of “medical marijuana” state laws creates an unregulated system that allows untested and potentially contaminated materials to be distributed to vulnerable patients. The very idea of ingesting a “medicine” by smoking it is counter-intuitive.

This legislation is reckless public policy. We empathize with the stories described by the bill’s supporters of the relief that smoking marijuana gives those with debilitating diseases, but fear that New York would be making a mistake bearing unforeseen and unintended consequences if we think we can systematically control who will have lawful access to a controlled and dangerous substance. The pitfalls associated with this policy are many and the opportunity for misuse and abuse are plentiful.

We are sensitive to the pain that individuals endure from disease, but that does not make it appropriate to sanction the medical use of marijuana. The ends do not justify the means. The implications of this legislation are far-reaching, with an increased opportunity for abuse. In addition, we are not convinced that a secure system can be put into place that ensures the responsible production, delivery and monitoring of medical marijuana.

While we strive to be a compassionate society, there must be a balance between alleviating or managing pain and creating a system that potentially does more harm than good. The road that “medical” marijuana legislation is traveling is laden with potholes. There are too many unanswered questions regarding this serious public policy issue to justify its becoming law. And once the box is opened, it will be difficult to return its contents and close the lid if things do not work out.

In October 2009, the Delegate Assembly of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD), pursuant to a recommendation of its Medical/Scientific Committee, adopted the position that “if marijuana is for legal medical use, it should be in the same context of how other dangerous drugs are prescribed including warnings, labeling, appropriate forms of dispensing, scheduled and monitored in the same way as other drugs under FDA oversight.” “Medical” marijuana is “Bad medicine and bad policy,” according to Robert J. Lindsey, MEd, CEAP, President/CEO of NCADD.

Organizations opposed to “Medical” Marijuana:

American Medical Association- AMA American Glaucoma Society- AGS American Academy of Ophthalmology American Cancer Society- ACS American Society of Addiction Medicine- ASAM American Academy of Family Physicians- AAFP American Academy of Pediatrics- AAP America Cares, Inc. Council on Addictions of New York State (CANYS)- NYS Affiliate of NCADD National Cancer Institute- NCI National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.- NCADD National Multiple Sclerosis Society National Family Partnership- NFP National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance. National Drug Prevention Alliance of the United Kingdom National Eye Institute National Families in Action- NFIA National Institute of Citizen Anti-Drug Policy National Institute for Neurological Disorders & Stroke National Narcotic Officers Associations Coalition- NNOAC National Troops Coalition

New York Society on Addiction Medicine- NYASAM Northwest Center for Health and Safety Alcoholism Council of New York (ACNY) Christian Drug Education Center Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America Concerned Citizens for Drug Prevention Community Against Substance Abuse Drug Watch International DARE Drug Free America Foundation- DFAF Drug Free Schools Coalition Drug Prevention Network of the Americas Educating Voices EM Global Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Institute on Global Drug Policy International Drug Strategy Institute International Scientific and Medical Forum on Drug Abuse International Task Force on Strategic Drug Policy Office of National Drug Control Policy- ONDCP Save Our Society From Drugs- SOS Students Taking Action Not Drugs (STAND)