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Ohio's largest physicians' organization doesn't think the Buckeye State should legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes but is not completely opposed to the bill rolled out last week in the Ohio House.
Like its national counterpart, the American Medical Association, the Ohio State Medical Association, says marijuana should have to go through the Food and Drug Administration approval process, just like other medicines. But if Ohioans support medical marijuana -- which polls consistently show they do -- the association prefers legalization happen at the Statehouse instead of the ballot box.
"We realize medical marijuana is an important topic that must be fully vetted under careful consideration and we think the House process is the right approach and that physicians should remain a part of these discussions," medical association spokesman Reginald Fields said Wednesday.
House Bill 523 would legalize marijuana if an Ohio-licensed doctor recommends it. The bill would establish a nine-member commission appointed by the governor and legislative leaders. The commission would write the rules and regulations for the program, including who could obtain commercial growing licenses and whether patients could smoke marijuana.
Fields pointed to five parts of the bill that physicians support:
Some of the aspects the state medical association supports are among marijuana advocates' prime concerns.
UnitedOhio, a coalition of activists that emerged after last year's recreational marijuana measure failed, raised several concerns with the bill in written testimony submitted to the House Select Committee on Medical Marijuana.
"There is no answer"
The association didn't take a position on whether marijuana should be smoked, but Dr. Brian Santin, a vascular surgeon from Southwest Ohio, urged lawmakers to leave that option open for patients and for research. The bill currently leaves that decision to a new nine-member commission.
"There are a lot of things in medicine that may not seem like a good idea but when you actually look at the data and research that's been done it makes pretty good sense and it's hard to argue against," Santin said.
Santin, who served on the House medicinal marijuana task force, said the bill cherry-picked the best parts of other states' medical marijuana policies in the hope Ohio could be a model for the rest of the U.S. He fielded questions about impairment, about how different components of marijuana might affect patients, and about which methods of marijuana use would yield the best response.
Santin's frequent response: "There is no answer." But he warned lawmakers about enacting restrictions aimed at curbing abuse that would restrict the medical community from being able to research the whole plant and all delivery methods.
"No matter how you try and regulate or structure any system whether its car safety or how to treat a medical condition, you're still going to have those oddballs who work around the system," Santin said.
Hearings continue
The House Select Committee on Medical Marijuana plans to meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and at 11 a.m. Thursday every week until it reports a bill for a full floor vote.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: 5 Things The Ohio State Medical Association Likes About The Medical Marijuana Bill
Author: Jackie Borchardt
Contact: Cleveland.com
Photo Credit: AP
Website: Cleveland.com
Like its national counterpart, the American Medical Association, the Ohio State Medical Association, says marijuana should have to go through the Food and Drug Administration approval process, just like other medicines. But if Ohioans support medical marijuana -- which polls consistently show they do -- the association prefers legalization happen at the Statehouse instead of the ballot box.
"We realize medical marijuana is an important topic that must be fully vetted under careful consideration and we think the House process is the right approach and that physicians should remain a part of these discussions," medical association spokesman Reginald Fields said Wednesday.
House Bill 523 would legalize marijuana if an Ohio-licensed doctor recommends it. The bill would establish a nine-member commission appointed by the governor and legislative leaders. The commission would write the rules and regulations for the program, including who could obtain commercial growing licenses and whether patients could smoke marijuana.
Fields pointed to five parts of the bill that physicians support:
- It could only be prescribed by a licensed physician.
- It prohibits growing marijuana at home.
- It collects data about how marijuana is prescribed -- for what conditions and whether it was an effective treatment for the condition.
- It promises that state lawmakers will urge Congress and the Drug Enforcement Administration to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II on the federal controlled substances schedule, which could increase medical researchers' access to the drug.
- It promises that state lawmakers will establish incentives for institutions of higher education and medical institutions to perform research on medical marijuana.
Some of the aspects the state medical association supports are among marijuana advocates' prime concerns.
UnitedOhio, a coalition of activists that emerged after last year's recreational marijuana measure failed, raised several concerns with the bill in written testimony submitted to the House Select Committee on Medical Marijuana.
- Federal law prevents Veteran's Affairs doctors from discussing medical marijuana with their patients, so Ohio's law would lock out many veterans.
- Renewing a prescription every 90 days is onerous for patients and could prove difficult, especially if too few doctors register with the program.
- Homegrown marijuana should be allowed because patients may not be able to afford or access marijuana that benefits them.
"There is no answer"
The association didn't take a position on whether marijuana should be smoked, but Dr. Brian Santin, a vascular surgeon from Southwest Ohio, urged lawmakers to leave that option open for patients and for research. The bill currently leaves that decision to a new nine-member commission.
"There are a lot of things in medicine that may not seem like a good idea but when you actually look at the data and research that's been done it makes pretty good sense and it's hard to argue against," Santin said.
Santin, who served on the House medicinal marijuana task force, said the bill cherry-picked the best parts of other states' medical marijuana policies in the hope Ohio could be a model for the rest of the U.S. He fielded questions about impairment, about how different components of marijuana might affect patients, and about which methods of marijuana use would yield the best response.
Santin's frequent response: "There is no answer." But he warned lawmakers about enacting restrictions aimed at curbing abuse that would restrict the medical community from being able to research the whole plant and all delivery methods.
"No matter how you try and regulate or structure any system whether its car safety or how to treat a medical condition, you're still going to have those oddballs who work around the system," Santin said.
Hearings continue
The House Select Committee on Medical Marijuana plans to meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and at 11 a.m. Thursday every week until it reports a bill for a full floor vote.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: 5 Things The Ohio State Medical Association Likes About The Medical Marijuana Bill
Author: Jackie Borchardt
Contact: Cleveland.com
Photo Credit: AP
Website: Cleveland.com
