Current Update

 

American Medical Association Declines to Endorse Compassionate Use of Marijuana for Medicine

June 29, 2001 - In 1997, the American Medical Association's Council on Scientific Affairs reviewed the legal, regulatory, and scientific developments related to the use of marijuana in medicine. At its Annual Meeting that year, the AMA's House of Delegates adopted the Council's report, which included several policy recommendations.

For the AMA's 2001 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago June 17-21, the Council updated its review and proposed additions and deletions to the 1997 policy recommendations. A standing AMA committee (Reference Committee D) made final recommendations regarding the Council's Report for consideration by the delegates at the annual meeting.

The Council recommended that the following language be added to the 1997 report:

"Until such time as rapid-onset cannabinoid formulations are clinically available, our AMA affirms the appropriateness of compassionate use of marijuana and related cannabinoids in carefully controlled programs
designed to provide symptomatic relief of nausea, vomiting, cachexia, anorexia, spasticity, acute or chronic pain, or other palliative effects. Such compassionate use is appropriate when other approved medications
provide inadequate relief or are not tolerated, and the protocols provide for physician oversight and a mechanism to assess treatment effectiveness."


But the Reference Committee recommended that this language not be adopted for the following reasons:

"The Council on Scientific Affairs Report 6 reviews developments related to the medical use of marijuana that have occurred since the Council's previous report at the Interim 1997 meeting. A number of studies over the past four years have expanded our understanding of the biology of cannabinoid use, but few have meaningfully examined marijuana's medical effects. The [Council's] report concludes with recommendations for changes in existing policy.

"Your Reference Committee heard considerable testimony on this report from the Council on Scientific Affairs, including testimony from a patient who reported his use of a tincture of marijuana for the relief of chronic pain.

"Testimony was uniformly complimentary of the Council's work. However, concerns were expressed about the language proposed by the Council on the issue of compassionate use of marijuana. While your Reference Committee is cognizant of the claims regarding marijuana's efficacy in relieving many symptoms associated with certain illnesses and the treatments for certain conditions, the testimony expressing concern about having AMA support an unapproved medication was more persuasive.

"In short, your Reference Committee believes that it would be unwise for our AMA to recommend unapproved drugs for any use, particularly in the absence of scientifically verifiable evidence regarding the substance's safety and efficacy. Given the report's additional language calling for continued research on the use of marijuana and other cannabinoids, your Reference Committee favors deletion of the Council's proposed fifth paragraph of the policy revision [the Council's recommendation, above]. Additionally,
your Reference Committee believes that the Council on Scientific Affairs should continue to monitor this issue, reporting back to the House of Delegates as necessary."

The AMA House of Delegates adopted the Reference Committee's report and voted down the recommendation the Council had proposed.

NOTE: (The quotations above come from the preliminary report of actions taken by the House of Delegates at its 2001 Annual Meeting and should not be considered final. Only the Official Proceedings of the House of Delegates reflect official policy of the Association. National Families in Action will provide a link to the final report when it is published on the AMA website.)

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