State Society Supports Clinical Research of Medical Marijuana

The Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) Board of Trustees has expressed its support of clinical trials on the efficacy of marijuana and similar drugs in treating serious medical conditions.  

The PAMED Board at its Feb. 3, 2010, meeting adopted the same policy as the American Medical Association, which was updated in 2009 to support review of marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug. PAMED does not yet support or oppose the use of medical marijuana. 

The AMA and PAMED policies urge the National Institutes of Health to offer grants and coordinate clinical trials. They also support the right of patients and physicians to discuss treatment alternatives without being subjected to criminal sanctions. 

The use of marijuana to treat certain chronic conditions has been legalized in 14 states, including New Jersey. The policy adopted by PAMED will help it evaluate any legislation legalizing marijuana that would be introduced in Pennsylvania.

Add Your Comments


The Pennsylvania Medical Society encourages lively debate, but please behave courteously and responsibly. Comments that include profanity, personal attacks (including language that could potentially identify an individual), or any other inappropriate, offensive, or illegal material will be removed. For more information, please see our Terms of Use.

Display name as (optional):

Comments (max 2000 characters):




Comments: 1


What an interesting phenomenon. Medicalization provides an interesting alternative to legalization, doesn't it? And 14 states now. I support our Society's effort to further explore this issue.

Chuck Joy at 2/16/2010 7:06:13 PM

Last Updated: 2/8/2010
From: 
Email:  
To: 
Email:  
Subject: 
Message: