California Medical Association Supports Legalization

Many people are shocked, be it in a positive or negative way, about the California Medical Association's recently admitted stance on marijuana regulation. As the state's biggest group of healthcare providers, they are well respected and influential in the medical community.

It is important to clarify the stance of the CMA, which does not relate to the medicinal properties of the drug. Many doctors in the group question the medical value of marijuana but still believe that it should be legalized. The CMA believes that marijuana should be sold and regulated like alcohol, as many other people in the country do.

They also worry about the technicalities involved with the current atmosphere of medical marijuana. There are cases, for example, when a doctor feels the need to prescribe marijuana, but they remain hesitant recommending a drug that is still federally illegal.

Doctors also claim that there could be more medical potential to marijuana than we know. In order to get a definitive answer to this question, however, it must be legalized so that more official testing can be done. Only then can we truly understand the benefits and detriments of marijuana.

They also point out that the consequences of making marijuana illegal outweigh the benefits. There is admitted risk to smoking anything, because smoke is bad for the respiratory system. In general, however, the majority of suffering caused by marijuana is judicial and legislative. The CMA considers criminalization of marijuana to be a “failed public health policy,” and it’s time it has met its end.

The decision to support legalization was made on Friday, October 14th, and represents the majority opinion of over 35,000 physicians. As the first medical association to take this platform, they are receiving a lot of attention for their opinions.