California Medical Association Calls on Governor Brown to Urge for Marijuana’s Reclassification
October 31st, 2012Posted by Kris Hermes
More than two weeks ago, with less fanfare than it deserved, the California Medical Association (CMA) voted to urge Governor Brown to petition the federal government to reclassify marijuana for medical use. Notably, the vote occurred two days ahead of oral arguments before a federal appeals court in a widely watched case concerning the reclassification of marijuana: Americans for Safe Access v. Drug Enforcement Administration. With this latest resolution from the CMA, pressure continues to build on the federal government to design policy based on sound science and to treat medical marijuana like the public health issue it is.
On October 14th, the 141st annual CMA House of Delegates voted unanimously to approve Resolution 103-12, urging the Governor to petition the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to reschedule cannabis. The resolution was co-authored by Dr. Donald Abrams, Chief of Hematology-Oncology at San Francisco General Hospital and an eminent cannabis researcher in his own right, and Dr. Larry Bedard, president of the Marin Medical Society and a physician who has practiced emergency medicine for more than 30 years.
Resolution 103-12 requests that:
California Governor Jerry Brown petition the DEA and the Administration to reschedule marijuana based on the science that shows medicinal marijuana has ‘accepted medical use.’
The CMA resolution also emphasized that:
[M]edical decisions should be based on science, not politics.
The CMA resolution comes as more than 70 medical professionals have co-signed an open letter calling for marijuana to be rescheduled from its current status as a dangerous drug with no medical value.
It’s not as if Governor Brown would be politically sticking out his neck, either. Within the last year, the governors of Colorado, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington have all petitioned the DEA to reclassify marijuana for medical use. Given that the vast majority of Californians support medical marijuana, it would be politically prudent for Governor Brown to take this action. For all the harm that the Obama Administration has caused the medical marijuana community over the past few years — incessant raids and prosecutions against legally compliant businesses — it’s the least Governor Brown could do in favor of the state’s hundreds of thousands of patients who rely on the same dispensaries the federal government is shutting down.
According to its website:
CMA serves more than 35,000 members in all modes of practice and specialties representing the patients of California. CMA is dedicated to serving our member physicians through a comprehensive program of legislative, legal, regulatory, economic and social advocacy. … Our goal is to provide our members with the necessary support, so that they can surpass the challenges and continue to run successful medical practices.
November 1st, 2012 at 5:01 am
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November 1st, 2012 at 10:40 am
Well, well, well…now who has the “scientists” in their camp?!?! It would have been great to have had a majority of the CMA panel back the petition, but it’s mind blowing to read that it was unanimous. To have that many minds, (in field where arrogance is considered a birth right and occupational necessity), synthesize in a unified effort is amazing…truly!! In light of this vote by the CMA, with reference to the question of whether or not MMJ has medical value worth looking into, even my A.D.D. addled brain can figure that one out.
November 1st, 2012 at 12:34 pm
Good luck with THAT. During the Harborside and Oaksterdam incidents, he said absolutely NOTHING. They came about (and collected tax money) for the City of Oakland WHILE HE WAS MAYOR. He’ll do nothing without the permission of the Prison Unions, and they sure aren’t for MJ legalization.
November 4th, 2012 at 6:52 pm
Dr. Abrams could not be more mistaken about politics. Legislators make laws, not doctors. As long as Dr. Abrams wants the state of California to ask the DEA if it’s okay to call marijuana medicine, he’s a traitor to the cause he claims to champion. States have the right to make this decision, whether Dr. Abrams believes it or not. It’s the arrogance of these doctors that prevents the political solution we should have won long ago.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
i think those officials who clearly have no medical degree need to stepdown on their gross public opinion unless somehow theve overnight managed to become doctors with a medical degree overnight they are not qauliffied to say anything to effect the matter unless their education says different those non medical practitioners denying our right to choose non lab made medicine is the peoples right and a rattification for new law for a patients right to choose ones treatment is whats really being ignored and if money is the feds issue we should prepare to nationally unite in one force by accomodating that no purchases be nessacary in the manner of cop tickets purched and used world wide coop-eration by only accepting paper with a picture of bob marley cop anywere money only purchased and reedeemable at world wide coop level would save the theft of commodities and revenue for any future legal violation to our human right….besides its alot harder to takedownn a nation than it is to dimenishus and abolish us of our right
November 24th, 2012 at 3:49 pm
now when they take down one by one they might succed put all the peopl and money in one place it will be impossible for them to go up an entire race