Pubdate: Wed, 26 Dec 2012
Source: Daily Courier, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Anna Reid and Heidi M. Oetter
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/5NyOACet
Website: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/531
Authors: Anna Reid and Heidi M. Oetter

DOCTORS AGAINST CHANGES TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA

The Canadian Medical Association and the Federation of Medical
Regulatory Authorities of Canada are deeply concerned about the
advancement of a regulatory proposal to reform the medical marijuana
access program.

These reforms may place an unacceptable degree of responsibility on
physicians, given the relative lack of evidence regarding the health
benefits of medical marijuana. If Health Canada no longer screens
applications for use of medical marijuana, this essentially makes the
physician the sole decision-maker.

Physicians should not be expected to prescribe medical marijuana
unless it meets the regulatory requirement for prescription medication
established under the federal Food and Drugs Act. We strongly believe
that the same safety and evidence standards applied to pharmaceutical
health products should be applied to medical marijuana.

However, information is lacking in a number of areas, including
correct dosage, efficacy, possible side effects and interaction with
other medications or pre-existing conditions, information that
physicians require to make evidence-based clinical decisions. We
recommend that the government of Canada focus its efforts on
addressing the lack of research in these areas.

We want to stress the need for a rational and evidence-based approach
with regard to the medical marijuana program.

It would be neither prudent nor responsible to propose regulatory
changes in disregard of the need for more robust standards for this
program.

Anna Reid, president, Canadian Medical Association

Heidi M. Oetter, president, Federation of Medical Regulatory
Authorities of Canada 
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