WebMD Which did the poll has the results.
69% say it can help with certain treatments and conditions.
67% say it should be a medical option for patients.
56% support making it legal nationwide.
50% of doctors in states where it is not legal say it should be legal in their states.
52% of doctors in states considering new laws say it should be legal in their states.
And those kinds of numbers are what we find in the general population. High percentages favor medicinal use and about 50 to 55% who say it should be legal for all uses. When a high proportion of doctors learn about cannabis killing cancer cells I expect the numbers will go some ways higher.
Funny though. Doctors who treat cancer are already on board to a very great extent.
Support for medical marijuana also varied by specialty. Oncologists and hematologists showed the highest level, with 82% saying marijuana delivers real benefits to patients. These specialties are also the most likely to say that marijuana should be a medical option for patients (82%). Medical marijuana is used to treat cancer pain, nausea related to chemotherapy, and to stimulate appetite.
They just have to educate their fellow doctors. It is coming. You can’t keep the study of the largest receptor system in the body, the endocannabinoid system, hidden indefinitely.
Comments
2 responses to “Doctors Strongly Favor Medical Cannabis”
It’s just a matter of time before medical MJ is legal everywhere. The house of reps in Georgia recently approved a bill to legalize MMJ after Dr. Gupta’s recent TV specials were viewed by the legislators. There were only three or four “No” votes against the measure. While not signed into law yet AFAIK, it likely will be. If MMJ can get that type of support in a Southern Baptist state like Georgia, legalization can happen anywhere in the USA.
I find the numbers on the doctors’ opinions hard to believe. Maybe I’m too much influenced by bad experiences when dealing with doctors regarding my father’s health and treatment, but it seems to me that for the profession in general, dollars in the pocket trumps effectiveness. There are lots of cheap effective natural cures, marijuana being one of the better ones, that are completely ignored, or viciously attacked.
Bottom line, I think the legalization is coming, but I wouldn’t rely on doctors to any great degree to push for it.